Improvement in copper/tin/lead production

ABSTRACT

A disclosed dilute copper metal composition has 57-85% wt Cu, ≥3.0% wt Ni, ≤0.8% wt Fe, 7-25% wt Sn and 3-15% wt Pb. A process includes partially b) oxidizing a black copper composition to obtain a first copper refining slag and a first enriched copper metal. The process further includes oxidizing h) the first enriched copper metal to obtain a second copper refining slag, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the amount of tin and lead processed through steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first and second copper refining slags together, partially reducing c) the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag, adding the second copper refining slag to the first lead-tin based metal composition thereby forming a first liquid bath, partially oxidizing d) the first liquid bath, thereby obtaining the dilute copper metal composition.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the production of non-ferrous metals by pyrometallurgy, in particular the production of copper (Cu). More particularly, the invention relates to an improved process for the coproduction of copper and solder streams from primary and secondary feedstocks, as prime products for further upgrade to metal products of commercially desirable purities. Solder streams often belong to the family of metal compositions or alloys that contain significant amounts of tin (Sn), usually but not necessarily together with lead (Pb).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The non-ferrous metals may be produced from fresh ores as the starting materials, also called primary sources, or from recyclable materials, also known as secondary feedstocks, or from a combination thereof. Recyclable materials may for instance be by-products, waste materials and end-of-life materials. The recovery of non-ferrous metals from secondary feedstocks has become an activity of paramount importance over the years. The recycling of non-ferrous metals after use has become a key contributor in the industry, because the demand for the metals continues to be strong and the availability of high quality fresh metal ores is reducing. In particular for the production of copper, its recovery from secondary feedstocks has become of significant industrial importance. In addition, the reducing availability of high quality fresh metal ores has also lead to a gain in importance of the recovery of non-ferrous metals from lower quality metal feedstock. The lower quality metal feedstocks for copper recovery may e.g. contain significant amounts of other non-ferrous metals. These other metals may by themselves have significant potential commercial value, such as tin and/or lead, but these primary and secondary feedstocks may contain other metals with a lower or even no economic value at all, such as zinc, bismuth, antimony, arsenic or nickel. Often these other metals are undesired in the prime non-ferrous metal products, or may only be allowable at very limited levels.

The materials available as feedstock for the production of copper thus typically contain a plurality of metals. Secondary feedstocks rich in copper are for instance bronze, principally an alloy of copper and tin, and brass, an alloy of mainly copper and zinc.

These different metals need to be separated from the copper in the production process. The feedstocks may in addition include small proportions of a range of other elements including iron, bismuth, antimony, arsenic, aluminium, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus and silicon, most of which having a limited acceptability in a prime metal product.

Secondary feedstocks containing copper may also be end-of-life electronic and/or electrical parts. These feedstocks typically comprise in addition to copper, the solder components, mainly tin and lead, but usually also comprise further metals such as iron and aluminium, plus occasionally minor amounts of precious metals, and also non-metallic parts, such as plastics, paint, rubber, glue, wood, paper, cardboard, etc. . . . These feedstocks are typically not clean, and thus usually also contain further impurities such as dirt, grease, waxes, soil and/or sand. Many metals in such raw materials are often also partially oxidized.

Because the feedstocks having lower purities and higher contaminant levels, both primary and secondary feedstocks, are much more abundantly available, there is a need for broadening the capabilities of non-ferrous metal production processes for increasing the allowance of such low grade raw materials as part of the feedstocks for the recovery or production of non-ferrous metals such as copper.

The non-ferrous metal production processes typically contain at least one and usually a plurality of pyrometallurgical process steps. A very common first pyrometallurgical step for recovering copper from low grade secondary materials is a smelting step. In a smelting furnace the metals are molten, and organics and other combustible materials are burned off. In addition, various chemical reactions take place between several of the other components that are introduced into the smelter furnace. Metals having a relatively high affinity for oxygen convert to their oxides and collect in the lower density supernatant slag phase. More volatile metals may escape the liquid into the gas phase and leave the furnace with the exhaust gasses, together with any carbon oxides and/or SO₂ that may be formed. The metals having a lower affinity for oxygen, if present in oxidized state readily reduce to their elemental metal form and move to the heavier and underlying metal phase. If not oxidized, these metals remain as elemental metal and remain in the higher density liquid metal phase in the bottom of the smelter furnace. In a copper production step, the smelting step may be operated such that most iron ends up in the slag, while copper, tin and lead end up in the metal product, a stream which is typically called “black copper”. Also most of the nickel, antimony, arsenic and bismuth typically end up as part of the black copper product.

DE 102012005401 A1 describes a process for the production of copper from secondary feedstocks, starting with a step for melting the raw materials. The smelting step is described to yield a slag phase containing copper, tin, lead and nickel. The slag was transferred into a rotary drum furnace for further processing. This further processing consisted of a series of consecutive partial chemical reduction steps, using carbon as a reducing agent, for consecutive recovery of particular metal products that are each time separated and removed from the furnace. A first “preliminary” step (“Vorstufe”) performed on the smelter slag recovered a copper product for processing in an anode furnace (“A-metall”). In order to obtain copper of sufficiently high quality, most of the tin and lead, together with a significant amount of copper, must thereby have remained in the slag phase. The slag from the Vorstufe was processed in subsequent step 1 to produce a black copper product to be granulated, together with another remaining slag phase. Step 2 produced from this slag phase a raw mixed tin product that was subsequently pre-refined using silicon metal to produce a tin mixture and a silicon residue. The last step yielded a final slag, also for granulation. A problem with the process of DE 102012005401 A1 is that the separations in steps 1 and 2, as well as in the final step, are relatively poor, resulting in a poor overall recovery of tin into the raw tin mixture and hence a relatively high loss of tin in the final slag, and also of lead, to the extent that lead would also be present.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, as well as its counterparts AU 505015 B2 and AU 469773 B2, describes a copper refining process starting with a melting step leading to a black copper stream, followed by the further pyrometallurgical stepwise refining of this black copper to an anode grade copper stream, suitable for being cast into anodes for electrolytic refining. The refining of the black copper in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 gave rise to the formation of a number of consecutive copper refining slags, the early slags being rich in zinc, the middle slags rich in lead and tin, and the terminal slags rich in copper. The refined copper product had a 98.70% wt purity and contained 0.50% wt of nickel (Table XII), together with 0.07% wt each of lead and antimony. No info is given about the remaining 0.66% wt. This copper was poured and cast into anodes for recovering the copper by electrorefining. The different refining slags were accumulated and transferred as one single intermediate by-product from the copper refining to a slag retreating furnace for recovery of the copper, lead and tin contained in those slags. In a first slag retreatment step, the accumulated copper refining slags were partially reduced, by the addition of copper/iron scrap, copper/aluminium alloy and burnt lime, such that a metal stream could be separated off (Table XIV) which recovered about 90% of the copper and about 85% of the nickel in the furnace. This tapped metal stream is in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 labelled “black copper” and was recycled to the refining furnace, where it was mixed with the pre-refined black copper coming from the melting furnace and with radiators (Table VI). In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, most of the nickel leaves the process as an impurity in the anode copper. The amount of nickel present in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 is expected to increase over time, because 630 kg of nickel was recycled with the metal from Table XIV, while only 500 kg was present in the recycled black copper from the previous cycle in Table VI. After tapping the black copper, an extracted slag remained in the furnace, which slag was in a subsequent step further reduced by charging to the furnace an amount of 98% iron scrap. This second reduction step yielded a lead/tin metal (i.e. a kind of “crude solder”) which was tapped off for further processing, together with a spent slag (Table XV), which was presumably discarded. The solder metal product contained 3.00% wt of iron, 13.54% wt of copper and 1.57% wt of nickel, i.e. 18.11% wt in total.

The purity of the products in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 leaves things to be desired. The metals other than copper in the anode copper, and the metals other than tin and lead in the crude solder, represent a burden for the further processing of these product streams to obtain commercially valuable metal products. The anode copper in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 contained 1.30% wt of impurities, of which 0.50% wt was nickel. These impurities disturb the electrorefining process, because mainly copper is selectively deposited on the cathode. The crude solder in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 contains 3.00% wt of iron, 1.57% wt of nickel and 13.54% wt of copper, which represent a process burden because these metals cause a significant consumption of chemicals in the further refining of the solder, in particular if the solder refining is performed as described in DE 102012005401 A1, i.e. by treatment with silicon metal, which is rather scarce and hence expensive.

Nickel is thus a contaminant in both of the products of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623. The process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 therefore has a strong incentive to limit the amount of nickel-containing feedstocks, e.g. as part of raw materials for the upstream melting unit. This reduces the acceptability of raw materials containing nickel in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, and of the more general operations of which it may be part.

There thus remains a need for a pyrometallurgical process providing higher purity copper and solder products from an operation that is co-producing these metal products. In particular, there remains a need for making a better separation between copper in the anode copper on the one hand and the total of tin and lead in the crude solder on the other hand. In addition, there is a need for allowing more nickel into the process without this amount impairing the downstream processing of the anode copper and/or the crude solder.

The present invention aims to obviate or at least mitigate the above described problem and/or to provide improvements generally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a process and a dilute copper containing stream as defined in any of the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment, the invention provides a dilute copper metal composition comprising, on a weight basis and relative to its total dry weight:

at least 57% wt and at most 85% wt of copper,

at least 3.0% wt of nickel,

at most 0.8% wt of iron,

at least 7% wt and at most 25% wt of tin,

at least 3% wt and at most 15% wt of lead.

In an embodiment, the invention provides a process for the manufacturing of at least one dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention, the process comprising the following steps:

-   a) providing a black copper composition comprising at least 50% wt     of copper and at least 1.0% wt of tin together with at least 1.0% wt     of lead, -   b) partially oxidizing the black copper composition, thereby forming     a first enriched copper metal phase and a first copper refining     slag, followed by separating the first copper refining slag from the     first enriched copper metal phase, -   h) partially oxidizing the first enriched copper metal phase,     thereby forming a second enriched copper metal phase and a second     copper refining slag, followed by separating the second copper     refining slag from the second enriched copper metal phase,     whereby at least 37.0% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead     that is processed through process steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in     the first copper refining slag and the second copper refining slag     together, -   j) partially oxidizing the second enriched copper metal phase,     thereby forming a third enriched copper metal phase and a third     copper refining slag, followed by separating the third copper     refining slag from the third enriched copper metal phase, -   i) adding at least a part of the second copper refining slag or of     the third copper refining slag to a metal composition that contains     copper together with at least one solder metal selected from tin and     lead, thereby forming a first liquid bath, and -   d) partially oxidizing the first liquid bath, thereby forming a     first dilute copper metal composition according to the present     invention and a first solder refining slag, followed by separating     the first solder refining slag from the first dilute copper metal     composition.

The applicants have found that the generation of the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention offers a major advantage in obtaining a relatively clear separation between on the one hand copper into a high purity copper stream from the sequence of copper refining steps, potentially even up to anode quality, and a crude solder stream on the other hand. The applicants have found that the copper in the two streams that are added together in step i) readily ends up as elemental copper in step d) and acts in step d) as an extracting agent for the tin and/or lead. The copper therefore acts as a carrier for the tin and/or lead. It is therefore advantageous to entrain in steps h) and/or j) some of the copper into the corresponding slag phase, because this in the first place helps in removing more tin and/or lead from the main copper process stream which passes as a metal stream through the copper refining process steps b), h) and j), on its way to become a prime copper product stream sufficiently rich for being further processed into a high purity copper product.

The applicants have found that having the nickel content of the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention above the lower limit as specified brings the advantage that more Ni may be removed from the process via process products other than the highest purity copper product of the process, i.e. the third enriched copper metal phase (Anode grade). This characteristic further brings the advantage that the overall process is able to accept more nickel in its raw materials, without jeopardizing the quality of the highest purity copper product of the process. Having the minimum nickel content as specified brings the further advantage that less nickel ends up in any one of the first and second crude solder metal compositions, from which the nickel is preferably removed in order to enable their further processing and the recovery of high purity tin and/or lead products.

The applicants have found that also the concentration of iron in the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention, should comply with the upper limit as specified. This brings the advantage that the further processing of the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention is facilitated and encounters less operating problems, less disposal problems, achieves better separations, and may be made more simple and thus less complex. Iron is primarily leaving the process as part of a spent slag, and it may represent an explosion hazard when a molten liquid containing FeO, such as a spent slag, is quenched by direct contact with water. Any iron present in the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention needs to be oxidized during the further processing of the composition. In many of the process steps where this is possible, this often causes extra processing time and operating costs. In addition, a higher presence of iron in such downstream process step increases the slag volume in such process step, and may negatively affect the equilibrium at the end of that step between slag phase and metal phase. The production and/or presence of more slag volume in a particular process step also reduces the capability, in that step and in downstream steps where that slag is processed further, for accepting extra external feedstock.

The applicants have found that the oxidation step d), thanks to the production of the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention as the metal phase, is able to produce a first solder refining slag which is richer in tin and/or lead, particularly in tin and lead together, relative to the amount of copper that is entrained with that first solder refining slag. Because the first solder refining slag is enriched in tin and/or lead, this facilitates the downstream recovery of the solder metals (i.e. tin and/or lead) from this first solder refining slag.

The applicants have also found that the generation of the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention offers the further advantage that more tin and/or lead may be introduced with the raw materials. This significantly widens the acceptability criteria for any raw materials that may additionally be fed to step b), i.e. besides the black copper, but also in the steps downstream thereof, such as in steps h), j) and d), and in step c) which is introduced further below in this document. In addition, this also significantly relaxes the acceptance criteria for the black copper itself. This feature thus significantly widens the acceptability criteria for the raw materials that are used in the production of the black copper, usually obtained as the main product from a smelter step. The smelter step is therefore allowed to accept much more low quality raw materials, which are more abundantly available at economically more attractive conditions.

The applicants have further found that the generation of the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention brings the further advantage that in step d) a better separation may be obtained between the copper and nickel intended to go into the first dilute copper metal composition, and the tin and lead intended for going into the first solder refining slag.

In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, the 3% wt of Cu in the 29.5 tons of slag of Table XIV represents 885 kg of Cu, or 1.46% wt of all the copper which had been introduced upstream in the process starting with the first black copper refining step (Table VI), which totals up to 60.7 tons of copper. In the slag of Table XIV is retrieved 19.2% of all the nickel which had been introduced upstream in the process. The applicants have found that the present invention brings the advantage that more of the copper and/or nickel may be routed towards product streams in which these metals are more desired.

The amounts of copper and/or nickel ending up as contaminants in the crude solder, represent, together with the iron present, a burden for the crude solder refining process, in particular when this is done using silicon metal as proposed in DE 102012005401 A1, and are thus undesired. The applicants have found that downstream of step d), a crude solder metal may be produced that contains significantly less than the 18.11% wt of copper, nickel and iron together in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623.

The applicants have further found that the first dilute copper metal phase according to the present invention which may be recovered from the retreatment of copper refining slags may contain much less non-valuable metals. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, the black copper for recycle (Table XIV) contains only 97.52% wt of the total of Cu, Sn, Pb and Ni, leaving 2.48% wt as the balance. This difference with U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 brings the advantage that the first dilute copper metal phase according to the present invention becomes much easier for being processed further, especially for the recovery of the valuable metals which the stream contains.

The applicants have further found that the first dilute copper metal phase according to the present invention which is recovered from step d) may also contain relatively important amounts of tin and/or lead. This brings the advantage that the corresponding slag phase obtained from step d), i.e. the first solder refining slag which if allowed sufficient time and mixing should be in equilibrium with the first dilute copper metal phase, is also richer in tin and/or lead. As a result, more tin and/or lead becomes available for recovery downstream by the further processing of the first solder refining slag for the recovery therefrom of the solder metals, i.e. the tin and/or lead. The overall result is that more crude solder may be produced relative to the amount of copper that is produced from the process according to the present invention. This benefit brings the associated extra advantage that a significantly higher amount of high purity tin product may be produced relative to the copper production rate of the process according to the present invention. Because the coproduction of tin generates an additional revenue above the copper production revenues, this advantage may be of significant economic benefit to the process operator.

The applicants have further found that the more significant presence of tin and/or lead in the first dilute copper metal phase which is recovered from step d) makes it technically more readily possible, and economically also more interesting, to recover from this stream the tin and/or lead by processing this stream separately, rather than simply recycling this stream as such to the first copper refining step b), as is done in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623. The applicants found that the first dilute copper metal phase or composition according to the present invention, and which may be obtained from step d) of the process according to the present invention, is now highly suitable for further being separated in a stream more concentrated in tin and/or lead on the one hand, and a stream more concentrated in copper and/or nickel on the other hand. The generation of another stream more concentrated in tin and/or lead brings about the possibility to generate even more higher purity tin by-product relative to the copper production, which adds to the advantages discussed hereinabove on that subject. Even if, subsequently to that additional separation, at least a part of the stream more concentrated in copper and/or nickel would be recycled to the first copper refining step b), similar to what happened in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, there would then be less tin and/or lead in that recycle relative to the copper content, and hence more furnace volume becomes available for processing extra fresh feeds in the steps through which this recycle would be passing.

The applicants have further found that removing in step d) significant amounts of tin and/or lead together with the first dilute copper metal phase brings the advantage that less volume of first solder refining slag needs to be processed in the downstream processing step, such that—for a given available furnace volume—more room becomes available for introducing extra fresh feed in this downstream processing step.

The applicants have also found that the process according to the present invention is highly effective for the production of a slag phase, i.e. the first solder refining slag, which slag is particularly suitable for producing a derivative crude solder stream, which may serve as an intermediate for the recovery of high purity tin and/or lead products. The applicants have found that this effectiveness is particularly due to the obtaining, in step d), of the first dilute copper metal composition, but also because of the sequence of oxidation and reduction steps as specified in the process according to the present invention.

The applicants have further found that the process according to the present invention is also highly energy efficient. In step d), the copper refining slag which was added in step i) introduces oxygen and acts as an oxidant for impurities in the first liquid bath. The copper oxides in the copper refining slag readily reduce to elemental copper, thereby releasing the oxygen and making that oxygen available for converting those metals which are having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper, from their elemental metal form into oxides. The elemental copper formed in step d) therefore moves to the metal phase and leaves step d) as part of the first dilute copper metal composition. The metals that convert to their oxides in step d) will move to the slag phase and be retrieved in the first solder refining slag. The applicants have found that in step d) a significant amount of Sn and/or Pb may be moved from the metal phase that is present as part of the furnace charge towards the first solder refining slag that is formed at the end of step d). The applicants have also found that these chemical conversions in step d), of copper oxides to elemental copper and of tin, lead or other metals into their oxides, may be achieved with relatively little extra input of energy, external oxidants and/or reductants, and hence with a relatively limited consumption of energy or input of process chemicals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of the process according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will hereinafter be described in particular embodiments, and with possible reference to particular drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto, but only by the claims. Any drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than those described and/or illustrated herein.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein may operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

The term “comprising”, as used in the claims, should not be considered as being limited to the elements that are listed in context with it. It does not exclude that there are other elements or steps. It should be considered as the presence provided of these features, integers, steps or components as required, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the volume of “an article comprising means A and B” may not be limited to an object which is composed solely of agents A and B. It means that A and B are the only elements of interest to the subject matter in connection with the present invention. In accordance with this, the terms “comprise” or “embed” enclose also the more restrictive terms “consisting essentially of” and “consist of”. By replacing “comprise” or “include” with “consist of” these terms therefore represent the basis of preferred but narrowed embodiments, which are also provided as part of the content of this document with regard to the present invention.

Unless specified otherwise, all values provided herein include up to and including the endpoints given, and the values of the constituents or components of the compositions are expressed in weight percent or % by weight of each ingredient in the composition.

Additionally, each compound used herein may be discussed interchangeably with respect to its chemical formula, chemical name, abbreviation, etc.

Within the context of the present invention, the terminology “at least partially” includes its endpoint “fully”. Relating to the degree to which a particular oxidation or reduction step of the process is performed, the preferred embodiment is typically a partial performance. Relating to an addition or recycle of a process stream into a particular process step, the preferred embodiment is typically the “fully” operating point within the range that is covered by the terms “at least partially”.

In this document and unless specified differently, amounts of metals and oxides are expressed in accordance with the typical practice in pyrometallurgy. The presence of each metal is typically expressed in its total presence, regardless whether the metal is present in its elemental form (oxidation state=0) or in any chemically bound form, typically in an oxidized form (oxidation state>0). For the metals which may relatively easily be reduced to their elemental forms, and which may occur as molten metal in the pyrometallurgical process, it is fairly common to express their presence in terms of their elemental metal form, even when the composition of a slag is given, wherein the majority of such metals may actually be present in an oxidized form. It is therefore that the composition of a slag in this document specifies the content of Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu, Sb, Bi as elemental metals. Less noble metals are more difficult to reduce under non-ferrous pyrometallurgical conditions and occur mostly in an oxidized form. These metals typically are expressed in terms of their most common oxide form. Therefore slag compositions are typically giving the content of Si, Ca, Al, Na respectively expressed as SiO₂, CaO, Al₂O₃, Na₂O.

Unless otherwise specified or for aqueous compositions, the concentrations are in this document expressed relative to the dry weight of the total composition, hence excluding any water or moisture present.

The applicants have found that the results of a chemical analysis of a metal phase is significantly more reliable than these of a slag phase analysis. Where in this document numbers are derived from a material balance over one or more process steps, the applicants prefer by far, if possible, to base such calculations on as much as possible metal phase analyses, and to minimise the use of slag analyses. For instance, the applicants prefer to calculate the recovery of tin and/or lead in the first copper refining slag from step b) based on the amount of tin and/or lead in the combined feeds to step b) that is not anymore retrieved in the first enriched copper metal phase from step b), rather than based on the tin and/or lead concentration reported for the first copper refining slag.

The applicants have further found that an analysis of a slag phase which is further processed may often be corrected by making a mass balance over the downstream process step or steps, and by back-calculating, using the amounts of the products obtained from the downstream step in combination with the analysis of these products, at least one preferably being a liquid metal product offering much more reliable analytical results. Such a back-calculation may be performed for several of the relevant particular metals individually, and may enable the establishment of reliable material balances over most individual steps of the process according to the present invention. Such a back-calculation may also be instrumental in determining the composition of a liquid metal stream from which the obtaining of a representative sample may be highly challenging, e.g. a molten solder metal stream containing high amounts of lead together with tin.

The applicants prefer to use X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) for analysing a metal phase in the context of the present invention. The applicants prefer for this analysis to take a sample of the molten liquid metal, and the applicants prefer to use a sampler for instant analytical purposes in copper refining from the company Heraeus Electro Nite, which results quickly in a solid and cooled sample for further processing. A surface of the cold sample is than suitably surface treated before the analysis is performed by use of an XRF probe. The XRF analytical technique however does not analyse for the level of oxygen in the sample. If needed, for establishing the complete composition of a metal phase including the oxygen content, the applicants therefore prefer to separately measure the oxygen content of the metal in the molten liquid metal present in the furnace, preferably by using a disposable one-time electrochemical sensor for batch processes in copper refining offered by the company Heraeus Electro Nite. The analytical result of the metal phase analysis by XRF, as described above, may then be adjusted, if desired, for the oxygen content obtained from the separate oxygen analysis. The compositions reported in the Example of this document have not been adjusted for inclusion of their oxygen content.

The present invention is primarily concerned with the recovery of the target metals copper, nickel, tin and/or lead into product streams suitable for deriving therefrom prime metal products of high purity. The process according to the present invention comprises different process steps and these process steps may be labelled as either an oxidation step or a reduction step. With this label, the applicants want to address the chemical reactions which these target metals may be subject to. A reduction step is thus comprising that at least one of these target metals is being reduced from at least one of its corresponding oxides to its elemental metal form, with the intention to move that metal from the slag phase to the metal phase in the furnace. Such a reduction step is preferably promoted by the addition of a reducing agent, as explained at several locations in this document. As reduction steps qualify the process steps with references 400, 600, 700, 900, 1000 and 1100. In an oxidation step, the main purpose is the conversion of at least one of the target metals to at least one of its corresponding oxides, with the intention to move that metal from the metal phase to the slag phase in the furnace. The oxygen for that conversion may in the context of the present invention be supplied from a variety of sources. The oxygen does not necessarily have to come from air or oxygen that may be blown into the liquid bath. The oxygen may equally be supplied by the introduction of a slag phase that was obtained from another process step and in which the oxygen is bound in an oxide of at least one other metal. An oxidation step in the context of the present invention may thus possibly be performed without any injection of air or oxygen. As oxidation steps therefore qualify the process steps with references 100, 200, 300, 500, 800 and 1200.

From the target metals which the present invention is recovering, Sn and Pb are considered “the solder metals”. These metals distinguish themselves from the other target metals copper and nickel because mixtures containing major amounts of these metals usually have a much lower melting point than mixtures containing major amounts of copper and/or nickel. Such compositions have been used already millennia ago for creating a permanent bond between two metal pieces, and this by first melting the “solder”, bringing it in place, and letting it solidify. The solder therefore needed to have a lower melting temperature than the metal of the pieces it was connecting. In the context of the present invention, a solder product or a solder metal composition, two terms which are used interchangeably throughout this document, mean metal compositions in which the combination of the solder metals, thus the level of Pb plus Sn, represents the major portion of the composition, i.e. at least 50% wt and preferably at least 65% wt. The solder product may further contain minor levels of the other target metals copper and/or nickel, and of non-target metals, such as Sb, As, Bi, Zn, Al and/or Fe, and/or elements such as Si. In the context of the present invention, because the process is directed to the production of a crude solder product and a copper product, the crude solder product or crude solder metal composition obtained by the process in steps e) and/or n) is expected to also contain a measurable amount of at least copper, if only as an inevitable impurity.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at least 58% wt of copper, preferably at least 60% wt, more preferably at least 62.5% wt, preferably at least 65% wt, more preferably at least 67.5% wt, even more preferably at least 70% wt, yet more preferably at least 72.5% wt, preferably at least 75% wt, more preferably at least 77.5% wt of copper. The applicants have found that the copper acts as a carrier and/or an entrainer for tin and/or lead in the process steps preceding the production of the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention. More copper being present in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention means that more copper is available in the upstream process steps, and therefore the better that tin and/or lead may be removed from any slag in equilibrium with the metal phase containing the copper, in particular meaning that more tin and/or lead may be extracted from the first spent slag of step c), a step which is introduced further below in this document, and which spent slag is in equilibrium with the first lead-tin based metal composition. This brings the advantage that more tin and/or lead may become part of the first crude solder metal product obtained from the process according to the present invention.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 84% wt of copper, preferably at most 83% wt, more preferably at most 82% wt, even more preferably at most 81% wt, yet more preferably at most 80% wt, preferably at most 77.5% wt, more preferably at most 75% wt, yet more preferably at most 72.5% wt, preferably at most 70% wt, more preferably at most 67.5% wt of copper. The applicants have found that it is advantageous to limit the presence of copper in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention below the prescribed limits, because this also limits the presence of copper in the metal phases forming in the upstream process steps. The applicants have found that excessive copper presence in those metal phases lead to a higher presence of copper in the slag phases that are in equilibrium with these metal phases. Because the copper in those slag phases may represent directly a loss of valuable copper metal, and/or they may indirectly represent a burden for any downstream process, such excessive copper presence is preferably avoided.

The upper limit for copper in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention is particularly relevant because it brings with it a limit in the copper content of the first solder refining slag that is in equilibrium therewith. This slag phase is subsequently partially reduced so that most of its tin and/or lead content reduces to the corresponding elemental metals, but the copper is typically also reduced and most of the copper ends up as part of the resulting first crude solder metal mixture. This first crude solder metal mixture usually needs to be submitted to further purification steps, such as a treatment with silicon metal as described in DE 102012005401 A1. Silicon metal is a rather expensive process chemical, and the treatment results in a silicon compound of the contaminant metal as a by-product that needs to be reworked or disposed of. The copper entrained in this first crude solder metal thus causes an increase of consumption of silicon metal in such a purification step. It is thus advantageous to limit the copper in the slag phase which is in equilibrium with the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention, an objective which is very well helped by limiting the copper content in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention below the specified limits.

The upper limit for copper in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention is also relevant because it leaves more room for processing more tin, a metal which is rather scarcely available and may therefore often achieve a higher economic upgrade than copper. Limiting the copper and as a result thereof processing more tin may thus bring significant advantages to the process operator.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at least 7.5% wt of tin, preferably at least 8.0% wt, more preferably at least 8.5% wt, even more preferably at least 9.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 9.5% wt, preferably at least 10.0% wt, more preferably at least 10.5% wt, even more preferably at least 11.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 11.5% wt, preferably at least 12.0% wt, more preferably at least 12.5% wt of tin. The applicants have found, when there is more tin present in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention, that there is also more tin present in the first solder refining slag which is in equilibrium with the metal phase. Because tin will be recovered from the first solder refining slag, it is advantageous to have more tin in the slag phase, and hence also in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 24% wt of tin, preferably at most 23% wt, more preferably at most 22% wt, even more preferably at most 21% wt, yet more preferably at most 20% wt, preferably at most 18.5% wt, more preferably at most 17% wt, even more preferably at most 15% wt, yet more preferably at most 12.5% wt, preferably at most 10% wt, more preferably at most 7.5% wt of tin. The applicants have found that it is advantageous to limit the presence of tin in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention below the prescribed limits, because this allows room for the presence of copper and/or lead. The advantages of having a copper content above particular limits have been described elsewhere in this document. Having more lead brings other advantages that are described elsewhere in this same document.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at least 3.0% wt of lead, preferably at least 4.0% wt, more preferably at least 5.0% wt, even more preferably at least 6.0% wt, preferably at least 7.0% wt, more preferably at least 8.0% wt, even more preferably at least 9.0% wt, preferably at least 10.0% wt, more preferably at least 11.0% wt of lead. The applicants have found that more lead in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention brings the advantage that it improves the physical separation of the metal phase from the slag phase in the process step leading to the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention. The applicants have further found that a higher lead content in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention by equilibrium also results in more lead in the slag phase that is in equilibrium therewith. It is from this slag phase that the first crude solder metal by-product will be generated. More lead in this slag phase thus results in a higher amount of lead that may find its way into the first crude solder metal by-product of the process. More lead in this first crude solder metal by-product brings process benefits downstream, when the first crude solder metal by-product is subjected to refining steps, such as needed when the first crude solder metal by-product is the raw material for deriving higher purity tin and/or lead prime products, e.g. by vacuum distillation. The applicants have also found that a higher lead presence may bring processing benefits, such as more ready phase separations, in various steps that may be operated as part of the conversion of the first crude solder metal by-product into higher purity tin and/or lead prime products.

In an embodiment, the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 14% wt of lead, preferably at most 13% wt, more preferably at most 12% wt, even more preferably at most 11% wt, yet more preferably at most 10.0% wt, preferably at most 9.5% wt, more preferably at most 9.0% wt, even more preferably at most 8.5% wt, yet more preferably at most 8.0% wt, preferably at most 7.5% wt, more preferably at most 7.0% wt of lead. The applicants have found that it is advantageous to limit the presence of lead in the first dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention below the prescribed limits, because this allows room for the presence of copper and/or tin. The advantages of having a copper content above particular limits have been described elsewhere in this document. Having more tin brings other advantages that are described elsewhere in this same document.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 0.60% wt of iron, more preferably at most 0.50% wt, even more preferably at most 0.40% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.30% wt, preferably at most 0.25% wt, more preferably at most 0.20% wt, even more preferably at most 0.10% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.05% wt of iron.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 3.0% wt of zinc, preferably at most 2.5% wt, more preferably at most 2.0% wt, even more preferably at most 1.5% wt, yet more preferably at most 1.0% wt, preferably at most 0.05% wt of zinc.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 1.5% wt of antimony, preferably at most 1.25% wt, more preferably at most 1.00% wt, even more preferably at most 0.75% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.50% wt, preferably at most 0.30% wt, more preferably at most 0.20% wt of antimony.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 15% wt of nickel, preferably at most 14.0% wt, more preferably at most 13.0% wt, even more preferably at most 12.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 11.0% wt, preferably at most 10.0% wt, more preferably at most 9.0% wt, even more preferably at most 8.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 7.0% wt of nickel.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 0.30% wt of silver, preferably at most 0.27% wt, more preferably at most 0.25% wt, even more preferably at most 0.20% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.15% wt of silver.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 0.1% wt of bismuth, preferably at most 0.10% wt, more preferably at most 0.09% wt, even more preferably at most 0.08% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.07% wt, preferably at most 0.06% wt, more preferably at most 0.05% wt, even more preferably at most 0.04% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.03% wt, preferably at most 0.02% wt, more preferably at most 0.01% wt, even more preferably at most 0.005% wt of bismuth.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 0.15% wt of arsenic, preferably at most 0.10% wt, more preferably at most 0.08% wt, even more preferably at most 0.06% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.05% wt of arsenic.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at most 1.0% wt of sulphur, preferably at most 1.00% wt, more preferably at most 0.90% wt, even more preferably at most 0.80% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.70% wt, preferably at most 0.60% wt, more preferably at most 0.50% wt, even more preferably at most 0.40% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.30% wt, preferably at most 0.25% wt, more preferably at most 0.20% wt, even more preferably at most 0.15% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.10% wt, preferably at most 0.05% wt of sulphur.

The applicants prefer to have the concentration of the metals iron, zinc, antimony, nickel, silver, bismuth and arsenic, and the element sulphur, in the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention, independently from each other and each individually, to comply with the upper limits as specified hereinabove. This brings the advantage that the further processing of the dilute copper metal composition is facilitated and encounters less operating problems, less disposal problems, achieves better separations, and may be made more simple and thus less complex. Less sulphur may also bring also less vapour exhaust emission problems. Less antimony and/or less arsenic may also bring less safety concerns, because in particular process steps these metals may create a risk for the generation of the very toxic gasses stibine (SbH3) or arsine (AsH3). Iron may represent an explosion hazard when a molten liquid containing FeO is quenched by direct contact with water.

In an embodiment, the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention comprises at least 4.0% wt of nickel, more preferably at least 5.0% wt, even more preferably at least 6.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 7.0% wt, preferably at least 8.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.0% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 11.0% wt of nickel. The applicants have found that the dilute copper metal composition according to the present invention allows to remove more nickel from the process via this route. This brings the advantages that (i) less nickel has to find its outlet via the other prime products, such as a high purity copper that may be derived from the enriched copper metal phase obtained from step b) or h), or such as a crude solder stream that may be derived from the first solder refining slag obtained from step d), and (ii) that more nickel may be allowed as part of the black copper provided in step a) without augmenting the problems that nickel brings when present in one of the prime process products: high quality copper and crude solder. This advantage (ii) brings the extra advantage that the process steps used for providing the black copper as part of step a), may accept feedstocks that contain more nickel, and which may, due to this increased nickel content, be more abundantly available and/or at more attractive economic conditions.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least 38% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead that is processed through process steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first copper refining slag and the second copper refining slag together, preferably at least 40% wt, more preferably at least 45% wt, even more preferably at least 50% wt, preferably at least 60% wt, more preferably at least 70% wt, even more preferably at least 80% wt, yet more preferably at least 85% wt, preferably at least 90% wt, more preferably at least 92% wt, even more preferably at least 94% wt, yet more preferably at least 95% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead that is processed through process steps b) and/or h). The applicants have found that a high recovery of the tin and/or lead into the early slags of the copper refining step sequence is advantageous for obtaining a better separation between the copper on the one hand and the solder metals tin and/or lead on the other hand.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least 8.5% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead that is processed through process step b) is retrieved in the first copper refining slag, preferably at least 10% wt, more preferably at least 15% wt, even more preferably at least 20% wt, preferably at least 30% wt, more preferably at least 40% wt, even more preferably at least 45% wt, yet more preferably at least 50% wt, preferably at least 55% wt, more preferably at least 60% wt, even more preferably at least 64% wt, yet more preferably at least 68% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead that is processed through process step b). The applicants have found that the earlier in the sequence of the copper refining steps b), h) and j) that more of the tin and/or lead is oxidized and moved into the copper refining slag phase, the clearer the overall separation between the copper on the one hand and the solder metals tin and/or lead on the other hand can be made.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least 41.0% wt of the total amount of the tin that is processed through process steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first copper refining slag and the second copper refining slag together, preferably at least 45% wt, more preferably at least 50% wt, even more preferably at least 55% wt, preferably at least 60% wt, more preferably at least 65% wt, even more preferably at least 70% wt, preferably at least 75% wt, more preferably at least 80% wt, more preferably at least 85% wt, preferably at least 90% wt, more preferably at least 92% wt of the total amount of the tin that is processed through process steps b) and/or h).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least 34.5% wt of the total amount of the lead that is processed through process steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first copper refining slag and the second copper refining slag together, preferably at least 35% wt, more preferably at least 40% wt, even more preferably at least 45% wt, preferably at least 50% wt, more preferably at least 55% wt, even more preferably at least 60% wt, yet more preferably at least 65% wt, preferably at least 70% wt, more preferably at least 75% wt, even more preferably at least 80% wt, preferably at least 85% wt, more preferably at least 90% wt, even more preferably at least 91% wt of the total amount of the lead that is processed through process steps b) and/or h).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the recovery of tin in step b) as part of the first copper refining slag, relative to the total amount of tin present in step b), is at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, more preferably at least 40.00%, even more preferably at least 45%, yet more preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 55%, more preferably at least 57%. No units need to be specified for the % recovery of a particular element, because regardless whether one considers atoms or weight, the % recovery remains the same.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the recovery of lead in step b) as part of the first copper refining slag, relative to the total amount of lead present in step b), is at least 20%, preferably at least 30.00%, more preferably at least 40%, even more preferably at least 45%, yet more preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 55%, more preferably at least 60%.

The specified lower limit on the recovery of tin and/or lead in step b) as part of the first copper refining slag brings the advantage that already in the first oxidation step b) which is performed on the black copper, a significant amount of the tin and/or lead present is removed, together with significant amounts of other elements other than copper. This brings the advantage that less impurities are fed to the steps performed downstream on the first enriched copper metal phase. This means that the downstream process steps on the first enriched copper metal phase have to cope with a lower amount of impurities, and also with less volume occupancy by the first enriched copper metal phase. This usually means that more precious furnace volume is liberated in the subsequent processing steps performed on the first enriched copper metal phase, which opens room for introducing extra material in these process steps, and hence the opportunity for an increased production of final copper product within the same furnace volume constraints. The listed advantages are associated with the lower limit on the recovery of tin in step b), also with the lower limit on the recovery of lead in step b), and on a combination of a lower limit on the recovery of tin with a lower limit on the recovery of lead in step b). The effects are cumulative with respect to the two metals tin and lead, and together bring even an enhanced effect relative to the sum of the two individual effects.

The applicants have found that the desired recoveries in step b) may be obtained by controlling the presence of oxygen and/or oxygen donors in step a) within appropriate limits, if needed combined with a controlled addition of scavengers for oxygen, and the addition of flux material.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the process further comprises the step of

-   c) partially reducing the first copper refining slag thereby forming     a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag,     followed by separating the first spent slag from the first lead-tin     based metal composition, and     adding the first lead-tin based metal composition to the first     liquid bath as the metal composition of step i) that contains copper     together with at least one solder metal selected from tin and lead.

The applicants have found that the metal composition required in step i) may readily be provided as a derivative of the first copper refining slag obtained from step b), obtainable by submitting the first copper refining slag from step b) to the partial reduction step c).

The applicants have found that most of the copper, which is coming with the first copper refining slag, in step c) will end up as part of the first lead-tin based metal composition forming in step c). The copper ending up in the first lead-tin based metal composition helps as a solvent for the tin and/or lead in process step c). The copper present in step c) thus helps keeping the tin and/or lead in the metal phase of step c), i.e. the first lead-tin based metal composition, and reduces the amounts of tin and/or lead that may find their way into the first spent slag from step c).

The applicants have further found that the inclusion of step c) in the process according to the present invention brings several additional benefits.

In step c) may selectively be reduced those metals in the furnace having under the process conditions the lower affinity for oxygen, into their respective metals. These reduced metals may then be separated off as a liquid metal phase, the separation leaving a liquid slag phase that is less concentrated in those metals, but still contains metals and elements that have a higher affinity for oxygen. The purpose of this step is preferably to selectively recover most of the copper from the first copper refining slag as copper metal, together with as much as possible of the tin and/or lead present. The reduction in step c) is thus preferably operated such that the first spent slag comprises at most 20% wt total of copper, tin and lead together. Preferably, the first spent slag comprises less than 20% wt total of copper, tin and lead together, more preferably even much less. Highly preferably the amounts of copper, tin and/or lead in this slag are sufficiently low such that they would not anymore represent an economically significant value. Most preferably, the concentrations of copper, tin and/or lead are sufficiently low such that the first spent slag would not cause environmental concerns when being disposed of as such, or may be acceptable for disposal after only limited further treatment.

In the first spent slag of step c) are preferably retrieved most of the elements that under the process conditions have a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead. This is particularly valid for metals such as iron, aluminium, sodium, potassium, calcium and other alkali and earth-alkali metals, but also for other elements such as silicon or phosphorus.

The applicants have found that step c) preferably produces a first lead-tin based metal composition that is highly suitable for further processing, in particular for producing a crude solder metal composition that may have commercial value by itself and/or be suitable for recovery of tin and/or lead products of higher and commercially acceptable purity.

The applicants have surprisingly found that it is possible in step c) to obtain a fairly clear separation between the valuable metals copper, nickel, tin and lead in the metal phase, and lower value metals such as iron and aluminium, and other elements such as silicon in the slag phase. This allows for a very high recovery of the valuable metals while producing a slag phase that is very low in these metals and hence may be discarded, either directly or with relatively minor further treatment. The applicants believe that this clear separation is possible because the presence of copper in step c) as part of the overall furnace content is within a particular concentration window. On the one hand, the copper acts as an extracting agent for tin and lead from the slag phase. On the other hand, the copper presence is sufficiently low such that the loss of copper in the slag phase is very limited.

Another major advantage is that the process according to the present invention including step c) has become much more tolerant to elements other than copper, most of which being elements that have under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper, tin and lead, and hence end up as part of the first spent slag. This significantly widens the acceptability criteria for any raw materials that may additionally be fed to step b), i.e. besides the black copper. In addition, this also significantly relaxes the acceptance criteria for the black copper itself. This feature thus significantly widens the acceptability criteria for the raw materials that are used in the production of the black copper, usually in a smelter step. The smelter step is therefore allowed to accept much more low quality raw materials, which are more abundantly available at economically more attractive conditions.

Yet another advantage is caused by that in step b) the volume of slag is high relative to the total furnace content. Removal of the slag from the furnace thus liberates a significant part of the furnace volume, such that in the further processing of the first enriched copper metal phase, which usually is performed in the same furnace, extra room is created for introducing further extra raw materials.

The applicants have found that this further processing of the first lead-tin based metal composition from step c) may be operated much more effectively and also much more efficiently thanks to the upstream removal from the process, as part of the first spent slag, of at least a significant part of the metals and elements having under the process conditions a high affinity for oxygen. The applicants have found that this feature of the process brings significant benefits downstream of step b), in the processing of the first lead-tin based metal composition.

One major advantage is that the volume of material to be processed downstream is significantly reduced by the removal in step c) of a significant amount of material as the first spent slag, i.e. before the recovery of the solder metals (Sn and Pb). In further downstream steps, this material would be deadweight and bring primarily drawbacks rather than benefits. In the process according to the present invention including step c), the further processing of the first lead-tin based metal composition may be operated much more volume efficiently, meaning that either smaller equipment may be used, or the process according to the present invention creates opportunities for processing additional streams for which the known processes would have less or no room. In addition, energy consumption may be also reduced in these downstream process steps, because of the reduced volume of hot material that needs to be processed.

The applicants have further surprisingly found that, by removing the first spent slag from the process according to the present invention including step c), the separations in the pyrometallurgical process steps downstream, particularly for processing the first lead-tin based metal composition, are also much improved. By having more clear separations between the respective metal phases and their corresponding slag phases, the downstream recovery of valuable metals may be operated more effectively and more efficiently, i.e. with higher prime product yields, lower discards of valuable metals, and requiring lower energy input, e.g. because of lower recycle stream volumes.

A further advantage of the process according to the present invention including step c), is that in the further processing of the first lead-tin based metal composition, extra materials may be introduced thanks to the extra furnace space made available by the removal of the high volume of the first spent slag from the process. Such extra materials may e.g. be rich in tin and/or lead. Such extra materials may e.g. be process slags and/or drosses generated as by-products from downstream refining steps as part of the further purification of tin and/or lead streams into commercially valuable prime products.

Another and major advantage of the process according to the present invention including step c) is that it allows for a much higher amount of crude solder co-product for the same amount of copper that is being processed. The applicants have found that the crude solder co-production, relative to the amount of copper being processed in the first copper refining step, may be increased by about 29% when compared to the amounts obtained in the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623. The economic value of crude solder, particularly as a possible intermediate for the production of a high purity tin product, is highly significant relative to the value of the anode copper prime product which may be obtained from the black copper. The increase in the relative amount of crude solder co-product relative to the amount of copper that is processed in the first copper refining step, therefore brings a significant economic advantage to the operator of the process according to the present invention.

The applicants have also found that it is advantageous that step c) takes only the first copper refining slag, and that the subsequent copper refining slags are better processed separately and preferably each in a different manner. The applicants have found that the first copper refining slag is the copper refining slag containing the highest total amount of elements other than copper, and particularly the elements having under furnace conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper, more particularly an affinity for oxygen that is higher than also tin and lead. The applicants have therefore surprisingly found that it is most effective to perform step c) on the first copper refining slag, i.e. before mixing in any of the other copper refining slags that are produced in process steps downstream of step b). The applicants have found that subsequent copper refining slags typically comprise higher concentrations of copper, and therefore the applicants prefer to process these downstream copper refining slags differently from the first copper refining slag.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the total feed to step c) comprises at least 29.0% wt of copper, preferably at least 30.0% wt, more preferably at least 31.0% wt, even more preferably at least 32.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 33.0% wt, preferably at least 34.0% wt, more preferably at least 35.0% wt, even more preferably at least 36.0% wt, preferably at least 37.0% wt, more preferably at least 38.0% wt of copper.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the total feed to step c) comprises an amount of copper that is at least 1.5 times as high as the total amount of solder metals present, i.e. the sum of Sn plus Pb, preferably at least 1.6 times, more preferably at least 1.7 times, even more preferably at least 1.8 times, yet more preferably at least 1.9 times, preferably at least 2.0 times, more preferably at least 2.1 times as high as the total amount of solder metals present.

The applicants have found that the prescribed amount of copper brings the advantage that there is sufficient copper present to act as a solvent for extracting solder metals from the slag phase into the first lead-tin based metal composition, and hence improves the recovery of valuable tin and/or lead from the slag in step c).

The applicants have found that the lower limit specified for the presence of copper, relative to the presence of the sum of Sn plus Pb present, in the total feed to step c) brings the advantage that a better extraction of Sn and Pb is obtained from the slag phase, and this without introducing significant amounts of copper in the slag phase. The applicants have found that the high presence of copper in the feed to step c) affects the equilibria for tin and lead between the slag and the metal phases at the end of step c), favoring the move of these solder metals from the slag phase into the metal phase. The applicants have found that this effect may be achieved without increasing the concentration of copper in the spent slag obtained from step c) up to economically significant and possibly unacceptable levels. The applicants have found the high amount of copper in the feed to step c) allows to obtain a spent slag from step c) which contains only low concentrations of tin and/or lead, as well as copper. This brings the advantage that the spent slag from step c) requires less further treatment, if any at all, for its responsible disposal or for its use in a suitable downstream application.

The applicants have found that the high presence of copper relative to the amount of solder metals Pb plus Sn in the feed to step c), as specified, brings the benefit of a higher recovery of the valuable metals tin, lead, and as appropriate also copper and possibly nickel, into product streams in which their presence is desired. This also reduces the burden which may be caused by the presence of these metals in product streams where they are less or not desired.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first lead-tin based metal composition comprises copper in the range of 40% wt to 90% wt, preferably at least 50% wt, more preferably at least 55% wt, even more preferably at least 60% wt, preferably at least 61% wt, more preferably at least 62% wt, even more preferably at least 63% wt, preferably at least 64% wt, more preferably at least 65% wt, even more preferably at least 66% wt. The applicants have found that the prescribed amount of copper brings the advantage that there is sufficient copper present to act as a solvent for extracting in the upstream process step solder metals from any supernatant slag phase into the first lead-tin based metal composition, and hence improves the recovery of valuable tin and/or lead form this slag in the upstream step.

The applicants prefer that the first lead-tin based metal composition comprises at most 85% wt, preferably at most 80% wt, more preferably at most 75% wt, even more preferably at most 70% wt, preferably at most 65% wt of copper.

The applicants have found that the upper limit for copper in the first lead-tin based metal composition is also relevant because it leaves more room for processing more tin and/or lead, of which in particular tin is a metal which is rather scarcely available and may therefore often achieve a higher economic upgrade than copper. Limiting the copper content and as a result thereof processing more tin as part of the first lead-tin based metal composition, and further downstream in steps d) and l), step l being introduced further below in this document, may thus bring significant advantages to the process operator because it may allow a higher production of crude solder as a downstream derivative of the process, and further downstream of more higher purity tin and/or higher purity lead prime products.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first lead-tin based metal composition comprises tin and lead together in the range of 5.0% wt to 60% wt, preferably at least 10% wt, more preferably at least 15% wt, even more preferably at least 17.5% wt, preferably at least 18% wt, more preferably at least 18.5% wt, even more preferably at least 19% wt, preferably at least 20% wt, more preferably at least 22% wt, even more preferably at least 24% wt, preferably at least 26% wt together of tin and lead, and optionally at most 50% wt, preferably at most 40% wt, more preferably at most 30% wt together of tin and lead. Compliance with the lower limit for tin and lead together brings the advantage that the overall process comprising the process according to the present invention is able to produce more crude solder for the same amount of copper product. The crude solder may subsequently be used to derive high purity tin and/or lead prime products, which bring a high economic upgrade when derived from mixed metal feedstocks also containing copper. More tin and/or lead in the first lead-tin based metal composition therefore represents a significant potential economic benefit to the operator.

Compliance with the upper limit for tin and lead together brings the advantage that more copper may be allowed in the first lead-tin based metal composition. Under the process conditions, the presence of copper, within limits, brings the advantage of acting as an extracting agent for tin and/or lead and hence improves the separation in step d) between copper and nickel on the one hand in the first dilute copper metal composition and on the other hand tin and lead in the first solder refining slag, but also in the upstream step where the first lead-tin based metal composition is formed and is in equilibrium with a supernatant slag phase.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first lead-tin based metal composition comprises tin in the range of 2.0% wt to 30% wt, preferably at least 4.0% wt, more preferably at least 6.0% wt, even more preferably at least 8.0% wt, preferably at least 9.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.50% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, preferably at least 11.0% wt of tin. More tin in the first lead-tin based metal composition brings the advantage that more tin may find its way into the first solder refining slag and/or in the third solder refining slag, and further downstream in any crude solder product that may be obtained as a derivative of the process according to the present invention. Tin is a metal which is rather scarcely available and may therefore often achieve a higher economic upgrade than copper and/or lead. Processing more tin as part of the first lead-tin based metal composition, and further downstream in steps d) and l), step l being introduced further below in this document, may thus bring significant advantages to the process operator.

Having more tin in the first lead-tin based metal composition also brings the advantage that the upstream process steps from which the first lead-tin based metal composition is obtained may accept feedstocks that contain more tin, together with other elements or metals such as copper and/or lead. This widens the acceptability criteria of feedstocks for those upstream process steps, which as a result may include feedstocks containing significant amounts of tin together with another particular metal of interest. Such more complex feedstocks may face difficulties in finding more valuable uses, and may therefore be available in relatively important volumes and at economically more attractive conditions. An increased acceptance of feedstocks containing more tin may thus represent an advantage to the operator.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first lead-tin based metal composition comprises lead in the range of 3.0% wt to 40% wt, preferably at least 5.0% wt, more preferably at least 6.0% wt, even more preferably at least 8.0% wt, preferably at least 9.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.50% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, preferably at least 11.0% wt, more preferably at least 12.0% wt, even more preferably at least 13.0% wt of lead. More lead in the first lead-tin based metal composition brings the advantage that more lead may find its way into the first solder refining slag and/or in the third solder refining slag, and further downstream in any crude solder product that may be obtained as a derivative of the process according to the present invention. Lead is a metal having a high density, much higher than other metals, and lead contributes this property to mixtures it is part of. In each step where a heavier liquid metal phase needs to be separated from a lighter slag phase with which it has become in equilibrium after chemical reactions having taken place, the presence of lead in the metal phase increases the density of the metal phase and thus the density difference between the slag phase and the metal phase. The presence of lead therefore facilitates a quick and clear separation between the two liquid phases. The same effects of faster and clearer separations may be obtained by the presence of lead in downstream processes, e.g. process steps where a crude solder stream is refined by creating a lighter density dross, possibly as a result of chemical reactions. Processing more lead as part of the first lead-tin based metal composition, and further downstream in steps d) and l), step l being introduced further below in this document, may thus bring significant advantages to the process operator.

Having more lead in the first lead-tin based metal composition also brings the advantage that the upstream process steps from which the first lead-tin based metal composition is obtained may accept feedstocks that contain more lead, together with other elements or metals such as copper and/or tin. This widens the acceptability criteria of feedstocks for those upstream process steps, which as a result may include feedstocks containing significant amounts of lead together with another particular metal of interest. Such more complex feedstocks may face difficulties in finding more valuable uses, and may therefore be available in relatively important volumes and at economically more attractive conditions. An increased acceptance of feedstocks containing more lead may thus represent an advantage to the operator.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at most 10.0% wt of copper, preferably at most 9.0% wt, more preferably at most 8.0% wt, even more preferably at most 7.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 6.0% wt of copper, preferably at most 5.5% wt, more preferably at most 5.0% wt, even more preferably at most 4.5% wt, preferably at most 4.0% wt, more preferably at most 3.5% wt, even more preferably at most 3.0% wt, preferably at most 2.5% wt, more preferably at most 2.0% wt, even more preferably at most 1.5% wt of copper, and optionally at least 0.1% wt, preferably at least 0.5%, more preferably at least 1.0% wt of copper. The applicants have found that the compliance with the upper limit brings the advantage of a more economical and possibly even simpler further refining of the crude solder stream that may be recovered downstream from the first solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that having less copper in the first solder refining slag also reduces the copper content of the first crude solder metal composition obtained in step e), a step which is introduced further below in this document, because the copper is typically also reduced in step e) and most of the copper ends up as part of the resulting first crude solder metal composition. The first crude solder metal composition usually needs to be submitted to further purification steps to reduce the presence of metals other than tin, lead and antimony in the crude solder metal composition, e.g. before this crude solder metal composition becomes suitable for the recovery of high purity tin and/or lead products. This includes the removal of copper. Such a treatment may e.g. be with silicon metal as described in DE 102012005401 A1. Silicon metal is a rather expensive process chemical, and the treatment results in a silicon compound of the contaminant metal as a by-product that needs to be reworked or disposed of. The copper entrained in the first crude solder metal thus causes an increase of consumption of silicon metal in such a purification step. It is thus advantageous to limit the copper in the first solder refining slag.

[SP2/3 COPIED FROM FO2 AFTER AGREEMENT] The crude solder metal composition that is obtained from the process according to the present invention, i.e. the first crude solder metal composition as obtained from step e) and/or the second crude solder metal composition obtained from step n) as described further below, may be further treated to remove more of its contaminants, in particular copper. This may be performed by contacting the crude solder metal composition, as a molten liquid, with elemental silicon and/or aluminium, elements which bind under the operating conditions with Cu, Ni and/or Fe and form a separate silicide and/or aluminide alloy phase. The applicants prefer to use silicon and/or aluminium containing scrap. Preferably the added material further comprises Sn and/or Pb, because these metals are readily upgraded into the respective prime products when introduced at this process stage. Because of the typical presence of Sb and As in the crude solder metal composition, the applicants prefer to use silicon and to avoid aluminium, although this is usually more readily available and more reactive. This avoids the formation of H₂S, a toxic gas, and more exothermic reactions in the treatment vessel, and also avoids that the resulting alloy phase by-product, in contact with water, could generate stibine and/or arsine, highly toxic gasses. The applicants have found that the silicon feed for this treatment step may contain a limited amount of iron (Fe), readily more than 1% wt and readily up to 5% wt or even up to 10% wt of Fe. The process may thus be operated using Si products that are unacceptable for other silicon consumers, such as reject material from the production line, and which may thus be more readily available. The applicants have found that the burden of processing this extra Fe, which also binds with Si, is typically readily compensated by the advantageous conditions for the supply of the silicon source.

The applicants prefer to feed the silicon containing feed in a granular form, e.g. with a grain size of 2-35 mm, in order on the one hand to limit losses by dust and surface oxidation, and on the other hand to provide sufficient surface for the intended chemical reactions and to avoid sieve plugging in the feed hopper. A powder form of the silicon containing feed for this refining step is preferably injected into the treatment step.

The applicants prefer to have the crude solder metal composition at a temperature of at least 800° C. before starting to add the silicon and/or aluminium. In this further treatment step with silicon, several of the chemical reactions are exothermic, and the reactions with nickel and with iron are more strongly exothermic than the reaction with copper. The applicants therefore prefer to push the reaction by adding more silicon containing feed at least until the temperature in the reaction vessel starts reducing again, a point which indicates that Fe and/or Ni are about exhausted and Cu starts reacting. The extra amount of Si to be added may then readily be determined based on the Cu content of the crude solder metal composition, and hence is readily and fairly accurately predictable.

The applicants prefer to perform this silicon treatment in a so-called “shaking ladle”, i.e. a furnace that is moving horizontally following an elliptic path, because it combines a fairly intense mixing performance with a limited exposure to oxygen in the atmosphere, and a limited investment cost. If the feed to this treatment is rather cold for a shaking ladle, the treatment step is preferably performed in a top blown rotary converter (TBRC) because of the improved heating capabilities.

The applicants prefer to monitor the silicon addition by analysing samples of the supernatant silicide phase for Ni and Si, and to add sufficient Si to avoid the formation of a 3^(rd) Cu and Sn containing phase upon cooling, which extra phase would retain Sn that more preferably should end up in the treated crude solder product of the treatment step.

The applicants prefer to operate this treatment step batchwise. Upon reaction completion, the applicants prefer to pour the entire reactor content into separating/tapping ladles for cooling, which results in the solidification first of the supernatant alloy phase containing the contaminants. The molten crude solder metal composition underneath may then be drained or tapped, and the solid crust remaining in the ladle may be recovered, as a product that may be called the “cupro phase”, preferably for recovering its metals of interest, preferably by recycling this cupro phase into a suitable upstream pyrometallurgical process step. The applicants prefer to pour the reactor content into the separating/tapping ladles for cooling at a temperature of at most 950° C., because this extends the useful life of the ladles, preferably made of cast steel. The applicants have found that the crust may readily be removed from the separating/tapping ladle, preferably by simply turning the ladle upside down, while the latter is still hot, which brings the advantage that the ladle is readily available for the next campaign, avoiding the loss of time and heat in between two successive uses. An empty separating ladle is preferably kept warm until its next use in order to further extend its useful life time. During this heating, the empty ladle is preferably rested on its side in a preheating stand, a position which allows for an easy operation for the overhead crane.

The recovered cupro phase is then preferably melted again, optionally with the addition of extra Pb, such as Pb scrap material, and preferably in a TBRC type of furnace, such that any solder that was entrapped in the crust is caught into a Pb-rich metal phase which may be drained (and solidified) for further processing. This “washing” of the cupro phase with Pb may be repeated, because of the extra recovery of Sn that may be achieved, provided sufficient elemental Si is still present. The applicants believe that Sn is present in the cupro phase also as part of an intermetallic compound formed with Cu. The added Pb is presumably able to break this intermetallic compound. The Cu may then react to form its silicide with still available Si, and the released Sn may dissolve in the Pb-containing liquid phase.

Washing the cupro phase with Pb brings the advantage that more Sn is recovered and this extra Sn ends up in a stream that is already on a path towards the recovery of a high purity tin product. Pb is particularly suitable as washing material because, thanks to its high density, it is able to obtain a relatively rapid and clear separation of the metal phase from the washed solid cupro phase.

The washing liquid, i.e. molten Pb further containing the washed out Sn, may readily be introduced into the crude solder which is prepared for vacuum distillation as described in WO 2018/060202 A1, where it may be of use to bring the Pb/Sn ratio of that stream closer to its target for an optimised further processing.

The washed cupro phase may then be recycled at a number of upstream process steps, with the purpose to recover its Cu and/or Ni content and/or to bring energy by the strongly exothermic reaction when remaining elemental silicon oxidizes to at least one of its oxides. Suitable steps, for recycling the washed cupro phase to, are the copper refining steps b), h) and j), the slag processing step c), and the upstream smelter step, as defined elsewhere in this document. The applicants have found that the washed cupro phase may become sufficiently lean in Sn and/or Pb such that it may be introduced into the furnace where the first high-copper metal composition, which is removed from the process after step l), may be prepared for being cast into copper anodes comprising impurities such as nickel.

Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 1.0% wt of copper, more preferably at least 1.5% wt, even more preferably at least 2.0% wt, preferably at least 2.5% wt, more preferably at least 3.0% wt, even more preferably at least 3.5% wt of copper.

The applicants have also found that it is advantageous to tolerate some copper in the first solder refining slag and to stay above the lower limit as specified. The applicants have found that this is to the benefit of the upstream process steps as well as to the benefit of the feedstocks that these upstream process steps are able to accept. At these levels, a higher presence of copper usually also means a higher presence of tin and/or lead, which may be highly advantageous. Both technical benefits represent advantages that balance the burden brought by the presence of copper in the first solder refining slag, and as a result thereof, the presence of copper in the first crude solder metal composition.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at least 2.0% wt of tin and optionally at most 20% wt of tin. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 3.0% wt of tin, more preferably at least 3.5% wt, even more preferably at least 4.0% wt, preferably at least 4.5% wt, more preferably at least 5.0% wt, even more preferably at least 5.5% wt, preferably at least 6.0% wt, more preferably at least 6.5% wt, even more preferably at least 7.0% wt, preferably at least 7.5% wt, more preferably at least 8.0% wt, even more preferably at least 8.5% wt, preferably at least 9.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.5% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, preferably at least 10.5% wt, more preferably at least 11.0% wt of tin. The applicants have found that the more tin being present in the first solder refining slag, the more tin may end up in the first crude solder metal composition obtained downstream. Because high purity tin is a commercial product that enjoys a significant economic premium, a higher amount of tin in the first crude solder metal composition allows for a higher volume of high purity tin that may be recovered therefrom.

Preferably the first solder refining slag in the process according to the present invention comprises at most 19% wt of tin, more preferably at most 18% wt, even more preferably at most 17% wt, preferably at most 16% wt, more preferably at most 15% wt, even more preferably at most 14% wt, preferably at most 13% wt, more preferably at most 12% wt, even more preferably at most 11% wt of tin. The applicants have found that the compliance of the tin content with the specified upper limit brings the advantage that room is left for other metals which may bring advantages. In particular the presence of significant amounts of lead in the first solder refining slag, a major part thereof ending up in the first crude solder metal composition, brings the advantage that the crude solder metal composition has a higher density, which is highly beneficial in separations by gravity of the solder from other phases such as a slag phase or a dross, e.g. during further downstream refining of the crude solder metal composition.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at least 9% wt of lead and optionally at most 30% wt of lead. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 10% wt of lead, more preferably at least 11% wt, even more preferably at least 12% wt, preferably at least 13% wt, more preferably at least 14% wt, even more preferably at least 15% wt, preferably at least 16% wt, more preferably at least 17% wt, even more preferably at least 18% wt of lead. The applicants have found that more lead in the first solder refining slag brings more lead in the first crude solder metal composition. More lead in this first crude solder metal product brings process benefits downstream, when the first crude solder metal product is subjected to refining steps, such as needed when the first crude solder metal product is the raw material for deriving higher purity tin and/or lead prime products, e.g. by vacuum distillation. The applicants have also found that a higher lead presence may bring processing benefits, such as more ready phase separations, in various steps that may be operated as part of the conversion of the first crude solder metal product into higher purity tin and/or lead prime products.

Preferably the first solder refining slag in the process according to the present invention comprises at most 28% wt of lead, more preferably at most 26% wt, even more preferably at most 24% wt, preferably at most 23% wt, more preferably at most 22% wt, even more preferably at most 21% wt, preferably at most 20% wt, more preferably at most 19% wt, even more preferably at most 18% wt, preferably at most 17% wt, more preferably at most 16% wt and even more preferably at most 15% wt of lead. The applicants have found that it is advantageous to limit the presence of lead in the first solder refining slag in the process according to the present invention below the prescribed limits, because this allows room for the presence of tin. Having more tin brings the advantage that more tin may find its way into the first crude solder metal composition and therefore more high purity tin final product may be obtained therefrom. Because high purity tin is of high commercial value, this technical advantage represents also a high economic benefit.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at least 12% wt together of tin and lead and optionally at most 50% wt together of tin and lead. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 13% wt together of tin and lead, more preferably at least 14% wt, even more preferably at least 15% wt, preferably at least 16% wt, more preferably at least 17% wt, even more preferably at least 18% wt, preferably at least 19% wt, more preferably at least 20% wt, even more preferably at least 21% wt, preferably at least 22% wt, more preferably at least 23% wt, even more preferably at least 24% wt, preferably at least 25% wt, more preferably at least 26% wt, even more preferably at least 27% wt, preferably at least 28% wt, more preferably at least 29% wt, even more preferably at least 30% wt together of tin and lead. The applicants have found that the more tin and lead being present in the first solder refining slag, the more tin and lead may end up in the first crude solder metal composition. Because high purity tin and lead are commercial products that enjoy significant economic premiums, a higher amount of tin and lead together in the first crude solder metal composition allows for a higher volume of high purity tin and of high purity lead that may be recovered therefrom. This also brings the advantage that the process according to the present invention may produce more crude solder for the same amount of copper production. The crude solder product may lead to the production of higher purity tin and/or higher purity lead products, i.e. products that may enjoy a significant economic upgrade, especially if the tin and/or lead have been derived from mixed metal feedstocks, which are often of a relatively lower economic value.

Preferably the first solder refining slag in the process according to the present invention comprises at most 45% wt together of tin and lead, more preferably at most 40% wt, even more preferably at most 39% wt, preferably at most 38% wt, more preferably at most 36% wt, even more preferably at most 34% wt, preferably at most 33% wt, more preferably at most 32% wt, even more preferably at most 31% wt, preferably at most 30% wt, more preferably at most 29% wt, even more preferably at most 28% wt, preferably at most 27% wt, more preferably at most 26% wt, even more preferably at most 24% wt together of tin and lead. The applicants have found that it is advantageous to limit the presence of tin and lead together in the first solder refining slag in the process according to the present invention below the prescribed limits, because this allows room for the presence of oxygen and of other metals that have under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper, nickel, tin and lead. This is particularly valid for metals such as iron, aluminium, sodium, potassium, calcium and other alkali and earth-alkali metals, but also for other elements such as silicon or phosphorus. These elements having a higher affinity for oxygen typically end up as part of the second spent slag obtained from step f), a step which is introduced further below in this document, meaning they are removed from the process with a discard stream. As a result, these elements do not end up as contaminants in one of the prime metal products from the process, meaning these streams enjoy a higher purity in the desired metals. The higher tolerance for these elements having a higher affinity for oxygen than copper, nickel, tin and lead, also widens the acceptance criteria for the feedstocks to the process according to the present invention. These upstream steps are therefore allowed to accept much more low quality raw materials, which are more abundantly available at economically more attractive conditions.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at most 4.0% wt and optionally at least 0.2% wt of nickel, preferably at most 3.5% wt, more preferably at most 3.0% wt, even more preferably at most 2.5% wt, preferably at most 2.0% wt, more preferably at most 1.5% wt, even more preferably at most 1.0% wt of nickel. The applicants have found that nickel behaves very similarly to copper in step e) which is described further below. The advantages of keeping the nickel content of the first solder refining slag within the prescribed limits are therefore similar to those described for copper, or for copper and nickel together, elsewhere in this document. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 0.20% wt of nickel, more preferably at least 0.25% wt, even more preferably at least 0.30% wt, preferably at least 0.35% wt, more preferably at least 0.40% wt, even more preferably at least 0.45% wt of nickel. This brings the advantage that the upstream process steps from which the first solder refining slag is obtained, is able to accept feedstocks that contain nickel. These feedstocks are because of their nickel content, less acceptable in other processes, and may therefore be available more abundantly and at economically more attractive conditions.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at most 10.0% wt together of copper and nickel, preferably at most 9.0% wt, more preferably at most 8.0% wt, even more preferably at most 7.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 6.0% wt, preferably at most 5.5% wt, more preferably at most 5.0% wt, even more preferably at most 4.5% wt, preferably at most 4.0% wt, more preferably at most 3.5% wt, even more preferably at most 3.0% wt together of copper and nickel. The applicants have found that lower amounts of copper and/or nickel in the first solder refining slag leave more room for more readily oxidising metals, such as iron, which have the tendency to reduce the viscosity of the slag phase, which is beneficial for a good quality and fast separation of the metal phase and the slag phase in the furnace, particularly as part of step e) which is described further below.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at least 10% wt and optionally at most 30% wt of iron. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at least 11% wt of iron, more preferably at least 12% wt, even more preferably at least 13% wt, preferably at least 14% wt, more preferably at least 15% wt, even more preferably at least 16% wt, preferably at least 17% wt, more preferably at least 18% wt, even more preferably at least 19% wt, preferably at least 20% wt, more preferably at least 21% wt, even more preferably at least 22% wt of iron. Preferably the first solder refining slag comprises at most 29% wt of iron, more preferably at most 28% wt, even more preferably at most 27% wt, preferably at most 26% wt, more preferably at most 25% wt, even more preferably at most 24% wt, preferably at most 23% wt, more preferably at most 22% wt, even more preferably at most 21% wt, preferably at most 20% wt of iron. The applicants have found that iron is an advantageous reducing agent for metals having under the process conditions a lower affinity for oxygen than iron, such as copper, nickel, tin and lead. The applicants therefore prefer to have an iron presence in the first solder refining slag in compliance with the specified limits because this allows an upstream process step to use significant amounts of iron as a reducing agent, which e.g. brings the advantage of making many of the upstream process steps more energy efficient. Another advantage is that also the allowance criteria for feedstocks of these upstream process steps are relaxed, which thus allows to accept feedstocks that may be more abundantly available and at economically more attractive conditions.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first solder refining slag comprises at least 0.003% wt of antimony, preferably at least 0.004% wt, more preferably at least 0.005% wt, even more preferably at least 0.010% wt, preferably at least 0.015% wt, more preferably at least 0.020% wt, even more preferably at least 0.025% wt, preferably at least 0.030% wt, and optionally at most 0.200% wt, preferably at most 0.180% wt, more preferably at most 0.150% wt, even more preferably at most 0.100% wt of antimony, preferably at most 0.090% wt, more preferably at most 0.080% wt, even more preferably at most 0.070% wt, preferably at most 0.060% wt, more preferably at most 0.050% wt, even more preferably at most 0.040% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.030% wt of antimony. The applicants have found that also most of the antimony as part of the first solder refining slag is typically reduced as part of step e) which is introduced further below in this document, and most of it ends up as part of the first crude solder metal composition. The applicants have further found that an amount of antimony may be acceptable in the process steps performed on the first crude solder metal composition, even when these have the objective of recovering high purity tin and/or lead prime products. The applicants have found that an amount of antimony may be acceptable, and may even be desirable, in some of these higher purity metal prime products. The applicants have however found that the capability to accommodate antimony in these downstream processes is limited with respect to the amount of lead that is present. The applicants therefore also prefer to comply with the upper limits specified for antimony as part of the first solder refining slag.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, step c) comprises adding a first reducing agent to step c), preferably by adding the first reducing agent to the first copper refining slag before reducing the first copper refining slag. The applicants have found that the addition of the reducing agent assists in achieving the desired chemical reduction. The applicants have found that the first reducing agent may possibly be a gas, such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably iron metal, more preferably scrap iron. The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agents may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may be sufficiently large that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may hardly be required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step c) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, in step i) at least a part of the second copper refining slag is added to the first liquid bath and/or to step d), preferably most of the second copper refining slag and more preferably the entire second copper refining slag.

The applicants have found that the composition of the second copper refining slag is highly suitable for being added into the first liquid bath. The applicants therefore prefer to add all of the second copper refining slag into the first liquid bath. The stream is suitable in the first place because the second copper refining slag is already relatively rich in the valuable metals of interest tin and lead, but also includes significant amounts of copper which may act downstream as an extracting agent for non-copper metals such as tin and lead. In the second place, the second copper refining slag contains only low amounts of metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead, more particularly metals that are less desired in the final purified metal products copper, tin and/or lead, and which metals will have to be removed from the process as part of a spent slag. Because the second copper refining slag is relatively poor in such metals, the addition of this slag into the first liquid bath does not consume high useless furnace volume in any of the downstream steps

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first spent slag from step c) comprises at most 20.0% wt and even better at most 18% wt total of copper, tin and lead together, preferably at most 15% wt, more preferably at most 12% wt, even more preferably at most 9.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 7.0% wt, preferably at most 5.0% wt, more preferably at most 4.0% wt, even more preferably at most 3.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 2.0% wt, preferably at most 1.5% wt and more preferably at most 1.10% wt total of copper, tin and lead together.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first spent slag from step c) comprises at most 7.0% wt of copper, preferably at most 5.0% wt, more preferably at most 3.0% wt, even more preferably at most 2.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 1.50% wt, preferably at most 1.00% wt, more preferably at most 0.75% wt, even more preferably at most 0.60% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.50% wt, preferably at most 0.40% wt of copper.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first spent slag from step c) comprises at most 7.0% wt of tin, preferably at most 5.0% wt, more preferably at most 3.0% wt, even more preferably at most 2.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 1.50% wt, preferably at most 1.00% wt, more preferably at most 0.75% wt, even more preferably at most 0.60% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.50% wt, preferably at most 0.40% wt, more preferably at most 0.30% wt of tin.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first spent slag from step c) comprises at most 7.0% wt of lead, preferably at most 5.0% wt, more preferably at most 3.0% wt, even more preferably at most 2.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 1.50% wt, preferably at most 1.00% wt, more preferably at most 0.75% wt, even more preferably at most 0.60% wt, yet more preferably at most 0.50% wt, preferably at most 0.40% wt of lead.

The specified upper limits on the presence of copper, tin, lead and of the three metals together in the first spent slag, each individually brings the benefit that the economic value of the amounts of the three target metals leaving the process with the first spent slag from step c) is kept limited. It reduces the need or desire to provide extra process steps on the first spent slag before this may be discarded, and thus offers the benefit that fewer or possibly even no further treatment steps are necessary before the first spent slag may be disposed of or before the slag is considered acceptable in an economically more attractive application or end-use.

In the first spent slag of the process according to the present invention including step c) are retrieved most of the elements that under the process conditions have a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead and/or copper and/or nickel. This is particularly valid for metals such as zinc, chromium, manganese, vanadium, titanium, iron, aluminium, sodium, potassium, calcium and other alkali and earth-alkali metals, but also for other elements such as silicon or phosphorus.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the temperature of the slag in step b) and/or in step c) is at least 1000° C., preferably at least 1020° C., more preferably at least 1040° C., even more preferably at least 1060° C., preferably at least 1080° C., more preferably at least 1100° C., even more preferably at least 1110° C., preferably at least 1120° C., more preferably at least 1130° C., even more preferably at least 1140° C., preferably at least 1150° C. The applicants have found that the separation between the metal phase and the slag phase is better when the temperature of the slag is in compliance with the prescribed limit, and preferably above the prescribed limit. Without wanting to be bound by this theory, the applicants believe that the higher temperature brings a better separation at least because the viscosity of the slag is lower at higher temperatures. A lower slag viscosity allows the heavier metal bubbles to combine faster into larger bubbles and to sink faster through the slag phase until they reach the underlying metal phase and may combine therewith. A higher temperature also brings the advantage of faster reaction kinetics, such that a desired equilibrium may be reached faster.

The applicants however also believe that the equilibrium between metal and slag phase is affected by the temperature. Usually a higher temperature tends to decrease the differences between different metals in terms of their affinity for oxygen under the process conditions. The applicants therefore prefer to limit the furnace temperature in step b) and/or c) to at most 1300° C., preferably at most 1250° C., more preferably at most 1200° C. The applicants prefer to apply this limit to most, if not all of the steps in the process according to the present invention in which there is made a phase separation between at least two liquid phases, usually a supernatant slag phase and an underlying metal phase.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, extra raw materials are added as fresh feed to step b). The applicants prefer to add raw materials containing solid metal because the melting of this solid metal is able to absorb a part of the reaction heat and assists in keeping the temperature of the furnace within the preferred range. The applicants prefer to use for this purpose raw materials that are rich in copper and which may contain at least minor amounts of Sn and/or Pb. The preferred temperature range is delimited by a lower limit below which the viscosity of at least one of the liquid phases becomes excessively high for the furnace to operate. The preferred temperature range is delimited by an upper limit above which the volatility of valuable metals, in particular of tin and/or lead, becomes excessive and the recovery of these metals as part of the furnace dust becomes excessively troublesome, complex and expensive.

At the high temperatures in a non-ferrous metal smelting or refining step, the metals and the metal oxides are both occurring in a liquid molten state. The metal oxides usually have a lower density than the metals and form a separate so-called “slag” phase which comes floating as a supernatant liquid phase on top of the molten metal phase. The metal oxides may thus be separated by gravity as a separate liquid slag phase from the molten metal phase. Silica, usually in the form of normal sand, may be added as a so-called “flux material”, i.e. as a slag diluent and/or for improving the slag fluidity such that it separates more readily from the metal phase and it is easier to handle. The silica is also capable of binding particular elements, and thereby also affects the desire of that element to become part of the slag phase rather than the metal phase. The applicants have found that the addition of silica is a highly desirable process element for many of the steps that are part of the process according to the present invention where a slag phase and a metal phase are to be separated from each other, because the silica in many circumstances assists in changing the equilibrium between the metal phase and the slag phase in the favour of the separation that is desired with respect to the metals desired in the metal phase and the metals preferred to stay in the slag phase. The applicants have further found that when the slag contains iron and is withdrawn from the furnace and granulated by contacting the hot liquid slag with water, the addition of silica may avoid the risk that the iron is present in a form which acts as a catalyst for the splitting of water and hence the formation of hydrogen gas, which represents an explosion hazard. Silica also increases the activity of any tin in the slag, forcing some SnO₂ to reduce to Sn metal, which Sn will move to the metal phase. This last mechanism reduces the amount of Sn that remains in the slag for the same underlying metal composition.

At the operating conditions of pyrometallurgy, several chemical reactions take place between the various metals and oxides in the furnace. The metals having a higher affinity for oxygen are more readily oxidized and those oxides tend to move into the slag phase, while the metals having a lower affinity for oxygen, when present as oxides, readily reduce to return to their metal state and these metals tend to move into the liquid metal phase. If sufficient contacting surface and time is allowed, an equilibrium establishes between the metal phase, in which the metals having a lower affinity for oxygen under the process conditions collect, and the slag phase, in which the metals having a higher affinity for oxygen under the process conditions are collecting in the form of their oxides.

Metals such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and silicon (Si) have an extremely high affinity for oxygen and will almost exclusively be retrieved in the slag phase. Metals such as silver (Ag), gold (Au) and other precious metals have an extremely low affinity for oxygen, and are almost exclusively retrieved in the metal phase. Most other metals typically behave “in-between” these two extremes, and their preference may in addition be affected by the presence of other elements or substances, or maybe the relative absence thereof.

The metals of interest for this invention have, under the typical furnace conditions of non-ferrous metal refining, affinities for oxygen, and will tend to distribute between the metal and the slag phase. From lower to higher affinity for oxygen, and hence from a relatively high affinity to a lower affinity for the metal phase, the ranking of these metals may be represented roughly as follows: Au>Ag>>Bi/Cu>Ni>As >Sb>Pb>Sn>>Fe>Zn>Si>Al>Mg>Ca. For convenience, one may call this a ranking of the metals from the more noble to the less noble, but this qualification has to be linked to the particular conditions and circumstances of non-ferrous metal pyrometallurgical processes, and may fail when exported into other fields. The relative position of particular metals in this list may a.o. be affected by the presence or absence of other elements in the furnace, such as e.g. silicon.

The equilibrium distribution of metal between metal and slag phase may also be influenced by adding oxygen and/or oxygen scavenging materials (or reducing agents) into the liquid bath in the furnace.

Oxygen addition will convert some of the metals in the metal phase into their oxidised form, which oxide will then move into the slag phase. The metals in the metal phase which have a high affinity for oxygen will be more prone for undergoing this conversion and move. Their equilibrium distribution between metal and slag phase may thus be more subject to change.

The opposite may be obtained by adding oxygen scavenging materials. Suitable oxygen consumers may for instance be carbon and/or hydrogen, in whatever shape or form, such as in organic materials, e.g. wood, or other combustibles, such as natural gas. Carbon and hydrogen will readily oxidize (“burn”) and convert to H₂O and/or CO/CO₂, components that readily leave the liquid bath and entrain its oxygen content from the bath. But also metals such as Si, Fe, Al, Zn and/or Ca are suitable reducing agents. Of particular interest are iron (Fe) and/or aluminium (Al), because of their ready availability. By oxidizing, these components will reduce some of the metals in the slag phase from their oxidized state into their metal state, and these metals will then move into the metal phase. Now it are the metals in the slag phase which have a lower affinity for oxygen that will be more prone for undergoing this reduction reaction and for making the move in the opposite direction.

In a smelter step, one of the purposes is to reduce oxides of valuable non-ferrous metals that are coming in with the feed into their corresponding reduced metals. The direction and speed of the reactions occurring in the smelter step may additionally be steered by controlling the nature of the atmosphere in the furnace. Alternatively or in addition, oxygen donating material or oxygen scavenging material may be added to the smelter.

A highly suitable oxygen scavenging material for such operations is iron metal, usually scrap iron being preferred. Under the typical operating conditions, the iron will react with hot oxides, silicates and the other compounds of metals having a lower affinity for oxygen than iron, to yield a melt containing the latter metals in elemental form. Typical reactions include:

MeO+Fe→FeO+Me+heat

(MeO)_(x)SiO₂ +xFe→(FeO)_(x)SiO₂ +xMe+heat

The temperature of the bath remains high through the exothermic heat of reaction and the heat of combustion. The temperature may readily be kept within a range in which the slag remains liquid and volatilization of lead and/or tin remains limited.

Each of the reduction reactions taking place in the melting furnace form an equilibrium. Thus, the conversion realized through each reaction is limited by the equilibria defined in relationships such as the following:

${K\; 1} = \frac{\lbrack{FeO}\rbrack \lbrack{Me}\rbrack}{\lbrack{MeO}\rbrack \lbrack{Fe}\rbrack}$ ${K\; 2} = \frac{{\left\lbrack {({FeO})_{x}{SiO}_{2}} \right\rbrack \lbrack{Me}\rbrack}^{x}}{{\left\lbrack {({MeO})_{x}{SiO}_{2}} \right\rbrack \lbrack{Fe}\rbrack}^{x}}$

The parameters in these formulae are representing the activities of the mentioned chemical components under the operating conditions, often being the multiplication of the concentration of the component times the activity coefficient of the component under the operating conditions, whereby the latter is not always equal to 1.0 or the same for different components. The applicants have found that the activity coefficients may be influenced by the presence of other chemical compounds, such as so-called flux compounds, sometimes also called slag formers, in particular by the addition of silicon dioxide.

In the case where Me is copper, K1 and K2 are high at normal reaction temperatures and reduction of copper compounds thus proceeds substantially to completion. In the case of lead and tin, K1 and K2 are both relatively low, but the copper in the metal phase extracts metallic lead and tin from the slag reaction zone, thereby lowering the activities of these metals in the slag and driving the reduction of combined lead and tin to completion.

The vapour pressure of zinc is relatively high at the typical reaction temperature and a major proportion of zinc, in contrast to lead and tin, may readily be volatilized out of the furnace. Zinc vapours leaving the furnace are oxidized by air which may e.g. be aspirated between the furnace mouth and the hood and/or the exhaust pipe. The resultant zinc oxide dust is condensed and collected by means of conventional dust collecting systems.

Preferably, the copper, tin and lead content of the slag in the smelter furnace are each reduced to 0.5% wt or less. For that purpose, the metal phase should contain sufficient copper to act as the solvent for extracting the lead and tin present from the slag. Also for this reason, the applicants prefer the copper concentration in the black copper fed to the process according to the present invention to be above the lower limit specified elsewhere in this document.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper composition or black copper used in some of the process steps complies with at least one of the following conditions, most preferably with all of the following conditions:

comprising at least 51% wt of copper,

comprising at most 96.9% wt of copper,

comprising at least 0.1% wt of nickel,

comprising at most 4.0% wt of nickel,

comprising at least 1.5% wt of tin,

comprising at most 15% wt of tin,

comprising at least 1.5% wt of lead,

comprising at most 25% wt of lead,

comprising at most 3.5% wt of iron, and

comprising at most 8.0% wt of zinc.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at most 96.9% wt or better at most 96.5% wt of copper, preferably at most 96.0% wt, more preferably at most 95.0% wt, even more preferably at most 90.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 85.0% wt, preferably at most 83.0% wt, more preferably at most 81.0% wt, even more preferably at most 80.0% wt, yet more preferably less than 80.0% wt and preferably at most 79.0% wt of copper. It brings the further advantage that the upstream process for producing the black copper may accept raw materials comprising much more metals other than copper. It is particularly advantageous to accept more tin and/or lead in the production of the black copper, and these higher amounts of tin and/or lead may readily be processed into an increased amount of crude solder co-product, a product that is having a relatively high economic value.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at least 51% wt of copper, preferably at least 52% wt, more preferably at least 53% wt, even more preferably at least 54% wt, yet more preferably at least 55% wt, preferably at least 57% wt, more preferably at least 59% wt, even more preferably at least 60% wt, yet more preferably at least 62% wt, preferably at least 64% wt, more preferably at least 66% wt, even more preferably at least 68% wt, yet more preferably at least 70% wt, preferably at least 71% wt, more preferably at least 72% wt, even more preferably at least 73% wt, yet more preferably at least 74% wt, preferably at least 75% wt, more preferably at least 77.5% wt, even more preferably at least 80% wt, yet more preferably at least 85% wt of copper.

This brings the advantage that a pre-refining step, such as provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 for upgrading a black copper containing 75-80% wt of copper to about 85% wt of copper or higher (85.12% wt of copper in the Example, Table VI), may be dispensed with.

The applicants have further found that the overall process is more operable and efficient, and usually produces more of the prime products, if the copper concentration in the black copper stays within the prescribed lower limit. With a lower copper concentration in the black copper, other elements make up the balance. This is quite acceptable and often even desirable if it are valuable metals that make up the balance, such as lead, but even more interestingly when also including tin. These metals consume chemicals during any oxidation and/or reduction step, but ultimately a major part thereof ends up in a prime product stream. If, however and on the contrary, it are lower value metals or elements which inevitably end up in one of the spent process slags that make up the balance, then the lower copper concentration is rather disadvantageous because these metals and/or elements consume chemicals in the oxidation steps as part of the copper refining steps, and/or may consume other chemicals in one of the downstream reduction steps, such as step c) of the process according to the present invention. In addition, these low value metals or elements take up volume in the furnace, and their presence therefore demands bigger furnaces and hence a higher investment cost. Within a given available equipment size, the presence of these metals or elements tightens the restrictions on introducing into any of the process steps higher value raw materials such as those containing high concentrations of copper, tin and/or lead. The black copper composition is typically an intermediate produced by another pyrometallurgical process step, i.e. a smelter step. A smelter step results in a molten metal product, the so-called “black copper”, and a liquid slag of primarily metal oxides, usually in the presence of significant amounts of silica. The applicants prefer in a smelter step to obtain a black copper product having at least the minimum amount of copper as specified, because the high copper presence acts as an extracting agent for other valuable metals, e.g. tin and lead. Keeping the copper concentration in the black copper composition above the specified limit therefore results in a higher recovery of these other valuable metals present in the black copper composition, rather than losing these valuable metals as part of the smelter slag, in which these metals typically have little to no value and even may represent a burden.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at least 1.5% wt of tin, more preferably at least 2.0% wt, even more preferably at least 2.5% wt, yet more preferably at least 3.0% wt, preferably at least 3.5% wt, more preferably at least 3.75% wt, even more preferably at least 4.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 4.5% wt, preferably at least 5.0% wt, more preferably at least 5.5% wt, even more preferably at least 6.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 6.5% wt, preferably at least 7.0% wt, more preferably at least 7.5% wt, even more preferably at least 8.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 8.5% wt, preferably at least 9.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.5% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 11.0% wt of tin. Tin is a highly valuable metal which is in its higher purity product form rather scarcely available. The applicants therefore prefer to produce as much tin as their process is able to handle. In addition, the applicants prefer to recover this tin from raw materials of low economic value, in which tin is typically present in low concentrations. Such low value raw materials often contain high amounts of elements that are difficult to process in a pyrometallurgical copper refining process, and therefore are usually first processed in a smelter step. The tin in those low value raw materials therefore mainly ends up as part of the black copper composition. The applicants prefer to process as much tin as possible from such low value raw materials, and hence prefer to have the black copper composition of the process according to the present invention contain as much tin as possible within the other process constraints.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at least 1.5% wt of lead, more preferably at least 2.0% wt, even more preferably at least 2.5% wt, yet more preferably at least 3.0% wt, preferably at least 3.5% wt, more preferably at least 3.75% wt, even more preferably at least 4.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 4.5% wt, preferably at least 5.0% wt, more preferably at least 5.5% wt, even more preferably at least 6.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 7.0% wt, preferably at least 8.0% wt, more preferably at least 9.0% wt, even more preferably at least 10.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 11.0% wt, preferably at least 12.0% wt, more preferably at least 13.0% wt, even more preferably at least 14.0% wt, yet more preferably at least 15.0% wt of lead.

Lead is also a valuable metal. In addition, the presence of lead facilitates the recovery of the even higher valuable tin metal, because it behaves similarly like tin, ends up in the same process streams, forming a mixture called “solder”, and the resulting solder streams have a higher density and are therefore easier to separate from lower density liquid streams such as slag or solid streams such as dross. The applicants therefore prefer to have a significant amount of lead in their process. In addition, the applicants prefer to recover this lead from raw materials of low economic value, in which lead is typically present in low concentrations. Such low value raw materials often contain high amounts of elements that are difficult to process in a pyrometallurgical copper refining process, and therefore are usually first processed in a smelter step. The lead in those low value raw materials therefore mainly ends up as part of the black copper composition. The applicants prefer to obtain as much lead as possible from such low value raw materials, and hence prefer to have the black copper composition of the process according to the present invention contain as much lead as possible within the other process constraints.

A higher presence of tin and/or lead in the black copper brings the advantage that the raw materials containing this tin and/or lead may be processed in a smelter step, a step which is highly tolerant for other impurities, much higher than this of the typical steps performed as part of a copper refining process, including any steps associated with co-production of other non-ferrous metals such as tin and/or lead. These acceptable raw materials thus typically are of much lower quality and hence also lower economic value. Most of the tin and/or lead in the black copper of the process according to the present invention ends up in a crude solder co-product, which is a product of relatively high economic value. The economic upgrade of the tin and/or lead in the black copper fed to the process according to the present invention is therefore typically much higher than a same amount introduced as part of a much more concentrated raw material that may be acceptable directly in one of the steps in the copper refining process, including ancillaries.

The applicants therefore prefer to have higher amounts of tin and/or lead in the black copper, because it brings the advantage that within a limited amount of these metals to be produced because of equipment limitations, more of these metals are being recovered from low value raw materials, and hence more of these metals may be recovered with a high economic upgrade from their lower value in the raw material and their high economic value in the final product.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at most 15.0% wt of tin, preferably at most 14.0% wt, more preferably at most 13.0% wt, even more preferably at most 12.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 11.0% wt, preferably at most 10.0% wt, more preferably at most 9.0% wt, even more preferably at most 8.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 7.0% wt, preferably at most 6.0% wt of tin. The applicants have found that limiting the tin concentration in the black copper composition to the specified upper limits brings the advantage that sufficient room is left in the black copper composition for other metals and elements. As argued above, copper presence is highly advantageous in the upstream smelter step, and so is the presence of lead. The applicants therefore prefer to keep the concentration of tin within the specified upper limit.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at most 25.0% wt of lead, preferably at most 24.0% wt, more preferably at most 23.0% wt, even more preferably at most 22.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 21.0% wt, preferably at most 20.0% wt, more preferably at most 19.0% wt, even more preferably at most 18.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 17.0% wt, preferably at most 16.0% wt, more preferably at most 15.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 14.0% wt, even more preferably at most 13.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 12.0% wt, preferably at most 11.0% wt, more preferably at most 10.0% wt, even more preferably at most 9.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 8.0% wt, preferably at most 7.0% wt of lead. The applicants have found that limiting the lead concentration in the black copper composition to the specified upper limits brings the advantage that sufficient room is left in the black copper composition for other metals and elements. As argued above, copper presence is highly advantageous in the upstream smelter step, and also the presence of significant amounts of tin is highly desirable. The applicants, therefore, prefer to keep the concentration of lead within the specified upper limit.

The applicants have found that excessive amounts of tin and/or lead in the black copper affect any separation step between copper (and nickel) on the one hand and of tin and lead on the other hand. The separation is less clear, and more tin and/or lead tends to stay with the copper. Even if the copper stream is at least partially recycled, this causes higher amounts of tin and/or lead to circulate around in the process and taking up furnace volume. But also if the copper stream from that separation, or part thereof, is removed from the process, the higher amounts of tin and/or lead in that stream represent an extra burden for its downstream processing.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at least 0.1% wt and at most 4.0% wt of nickel (Ni). Preferably the black copper feed to step b) comprises at least 0.2% wt of nickel, more preferably at least 0.3% wt, even more preferably at least 0.4% wt, yet more preferably at least 0.5% wt, preferably at least 0.75% wt, more preferably at least 1.00% wt of nickel.

Nickel is a metal that is present in many raw materials containing copper, tin and/or lead, and it is also present in many alloys containing or even based on iron. Nickel exhibits under the furnace conditions an affinity for oxygen that is lower than tin and/or lead, close to and somewhat higher than this of copper. It is therefore a metal that is difficult to separate from copper by pyrometallurgy. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, most of the nickel comprised in the pre-refined black copper (Table VI, 541.8 kg) leaves the process as an impurity in the refined copper product (Table XII, 300 kg), which was cast into anodes (col. 19, lines 61-62). A minor amount of the nickel finds its way into the lead/tin metal product (Table XV, 110 kg). The process comprises a significant recycle stream of black copper, in which nickel appears to increase with each cycle (Table XIV, 630 kg compared to Table VI, 500 kg). The applicants have found that nickel in the copper anodes is a disturbing element in the downstream electrorefining step. Under the electrorefining process conditions, the nickel dissolves in the electrolyte but does not deposit on the cathode. It therefore may build up in the electrolyte and may possibly lead to nickel salts precipitating when exceeding their solubility limit. But even at lower levels the nickel may already lead to anode passivation because of a possible build-up of a nickel concentration gradient at the anode surface. The process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 is thus limited in its nickel handling capabilities. The melting step in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 may therefore only accept a rather limited amount of raw materials that contain significant amounts of nickel.

The applicants have now found that the process according to the present invention is able to accept much higher amounts of nickel, e.g. as part of the black copper from an upstream smelter step. This higher tolerance for nickel brings for the process according to the present invention, and for any process steps performed upstream, a wider window of acceptance with respect to raw materials. The process according to the present invention, as well as any of its upstream process steps, may thus accept raw materials that alternate processes known in the art may not accept, or only accept in very limited quantities, and which may thus be more readily available at economically more attractive conditions.

In spite of the higher tolerance for nickel, the applicants have also found that the process according to the present invention may be capable of producing a prime anode copper product that is richer in copper and comprises less nickel as compared to the anode copper produced in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at most 3.5% wt of iron, preferably at most 3.0% wt, more preferably at most 2.5% wt, even more preferably at most 2.0% wt, yet more preferably at most 1.80% wt, preferably at most 1.60% wt of iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the black copper comprises at most 8.0% wt of zinc, preferably at most 7.5% wt, more preferably at most 7.0% wt, even more preferably at most 6.5% wt, yet more preferably at most 6.0% wt, preferably at most 5.5% wt, more preferably at most 5.0% wt, even more preferably at most 4.7% wt of zinc.

The applicants have found that it is advisable to keep the concentrations of iron and/or zinc within the specified boundaries. These metals are typically oxidized in the copper refining steps, where they consume ancillaries. Zinc is readily reduced in any of the reducing steps of the process, and hence also there consumes ancillaries. In addition, these metals take up furnace volume. For these reasons, the applicants want to limit these metals to the respective concentrations as specified.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the following step:

-   e) partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby     forming a first crude solder metal composition and a second solder     refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining     slag from the first crude solder metal composition.

This step e) produces a crude solder stream rich in tin and/or lead, also containing most of the relatively small amounts of copper and/or nickel that were entrained in the first solder refining slag. The first crude solder stream is suitable for being further processed for further enrichment into tin and/or lead, e.g. by treatment with silicon metal as described in DE 102012005401 A1. Alternatively or in addition, this crude solder stream, optionally post an enrichment step for increasing the tin and/or lead content, may be further tuned as described in WO 2018/060202 A1 or similar, and subsequently be subjected to a distillation and recovery of the tin and/or lead as high purity metal products, as described in that same document.

The applicants have found that the reduction in step e) may at least partially be performed by adding a suitable metal stream (second reducing agent), i.e. by the addition of a metal composition which contains metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead, such as zinc, silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium or aluminium. This metal stream preferably in addition also contains tin and/or lead, and optionally may contain also some antimony and/or arsenic. This additional antimony, tin and/or lead readily ends up as part of the first crude solder metal composition from step e) and may readily be recovered downstream as part of a purified metal prime product. The added metal stream preferably contains only minor amounts of nickel and/or copper, i.e. metals which are likely to also end up as part of the first crude solder metal composition from step e) but which may bring extra process burdens and operating expenses, such as extra silicon consumption when a silicon treatment step is provided downstream in the refining of the first crude solder metal composition. Also iron is preferably present in only limited amounts, because not all of any added iron may end up in the slag phase, but rather leave step e) with the first crude solder metal composition, and increase the process burdens downstream.

The applicants have found that in step e) the recovery of the solder metals into the first crude solder metal composition may be advantageously high, and any entrainment of tin and/or lead, but also of any copper and/or nickel, into the second solder refining slag may be kept advantageously low.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the following step:

-   f) partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby     forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent     slag, followed by separating the second spent slag from the second     lead-tin based metal composition.

The applicants have found that it is advantageous to provide the extra reduction step f) downstream of the crude solder production step e), in particular a reduction step on the second solder refining slag which was recovered from that step e). The applicants have found that more valuable metals may be extracted from this second solder refining slag by step f), making the remaining slag even more suitable for use in a valuable end-use application, and/or for disposing of this slag as spent slag. The applicants have further found that the extra reduction step f) is also able to reduce leachable metals, such as lead, in the slag to sufficiently low levels such that the slag left over from step f) may be used further as valuable material, or be discarded responsibly, and this with a very limited number of extra treatment steps, and possibly without any further treatment steps, for reducing the concentration of sensitive metals such as lead and/or zinc.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises adding a first copper containing material to step f), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the addition of copper into reduction step f) brings a significant advantage because the copper may act as an excellent extracting agent for any other valuable metals that have remained in the second solder refining slag remaining after step e), and that this advantageous extraction may be performed without losing significant amounts of copper in the second spent slag that is produced in step f).

The applicants have further found that the copper-containing fresh feed which may be added into step f) may contain significant amounts of other valuable metals, in particular of zinc, nickel, tin and/or lead. The applicants have found, provided sufficient copper is made available, that the losses of particularly tin and/or lead into the second spent slag may be kept very low and therefore do not jeopardize the possible further uses or routing of this second spent slag, nor represent an economically significant loss of valuable metals.

The applicants have found that a large variety of materials are suitable as copper-containing fresh feed to step f). The applicants however prefer that the copper-containing fresh feed to step f) comprises only limited amounts of, and preferably little to no, combustibles, i.e. substances that readily oxidize under the process conditions, e.g. organic materials such as plastics and/or hydrocarbons, rests of fuel or oil, etc., such that the temperature in step f) remains readily controllable.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first copper containing fresh feed comprises black copper and/or spent or reject copper anode material.

The applicants have found that in step f), a significant amount of black copper, similar in composition to the black copper which was provided in step a), may be added into step f) for extracting more valuable metals out of the second solder refining slag from step e) without excessively losing extra valuable metals into the second spent slag from step f). The applicants have found that the amounts of such black copper from an upstream smelter step that are acceptable in step f) are very significant, even of the order of magnitude of the amount of black copper provided in step a) as feed for step b). The applicants have found that the inclusion of step f) into the process according to the present invention significantly increases the capability to process smelter-type black copper, and hence to process higher amounts of the lower quality raw materials that bring valuable metals at low value and therefore with a high value upgrade potential. The applicants have found that this way of operating step f) brings the extra advantage that a significant portion of the black copper from the upstream smelter step may be processed without all that black copper needing to pass through at least the first step b) of the copper refining sequence. Any metals in the black copper feed to step f) that have under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper are most likely already removed before the copper from this black copper fresh feed to step f) may find its way, one way or another, into step b) and may subsequently thus pass through the copper refining process sequence of steps b), h) and j) and end up in the anode quality copper product.

The applicants have also found that step f) is also highly suitable for introducing spent and/or reject copper anode material. The production of high quality copper typically comprises an electrolysis step, in which copper dissolves from an anode into the electrolyte and re-deposits on a cathode. The anode is typically not fully consumed and the anode is removed as spent copper anode material from the electrolysis bath before the last copper thereof has been dissolved. The applicants have found that step f) is highly suitable for introducing such spent copper anode material. Copper anodes for such copper electrolysis step are typically cast by pouring a suitable amount of molten anode quality copper into a mould and letting the copper solidify upon cooling. For a good functioning of the copper electrolysis, the anodes have to comply with fairly stringent dimensional and shape requirements. Non-compliant anodes are preferably not used but represent reject copper anode material. The applicants have found that step f) is also highly suitable for introducing such reject copper anode material.

The applicants prefer to introduce the spent and/or reject copper anode material as a solid with little to no preheat. This brings the advantage that the melting of this material consumes at least a part of the heat of reaction generated by the chemical reactions occurring in step f).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, step f) comprises adding a third reducing agent to step f), i.e. the step for reducing the second solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the third reducing agent allows to drive the result of reduction step f) towards the desired separation of valuable metals into the second lead-tin based metal composition and maintaining rejectable metals into the second spent slag. The applicants have found that the third reducing agent may be a gas such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the third reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably iron metal, more preferably scrap iron. The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agent may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may be sufficiently large such that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may be limited or even hardly required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step f) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

The applicants prefer to add to step f) an amount of third reducing agent that is rich in iron, preferably as multimetal material, because this multimetal material is more readily available at more advantageous conditions than higher purity tin, high purity copper or higher purity iron. Another suitable material may be electric motors, preferably such motors after use, because of their high contents of iron for the cores and copper for the windings. The applicants have found that the copper and/or tin may readily be kept in the metal phase and be kept from moving into the slag phase, while any iron into this copper-containing fresh feed readily moves into the slag phase as iron oxide, while it helps the chemical reduction of other metals that have under the process conditions a lower affinity for oxygen than iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the step of:

-   g) recycling at least a part of the second lead-tin based metal     composition to step c), preferably adding most if not all of the     second lead-tin based metal composition to step c), and preferably     before reducing the first copper refining slag.

The applicants have found that the valuable metals in the second lead-tin based metal composition from step f) may readily be recovered by adding this composition to step c). The metals in the second lead-tin based metal composition having a higher affinity for oxygen under the process conditions, readily oxidize and result in a reduction of those metals being fed to step c) that have a lower affinity for oxygen under the same conditions. The presence in step c) of the extra metals from step f) result in a partial reduction of the metals present as oxides in the first copper refining slag. As a result, more valuable metals, such as Cu, Ni, Sn, Pb, Sb, As, move into the metal phase of step c), and more rejectable metals, such as Fe, Si and Al, move into the spent slag produced in step c). The addition of this second lead-tin based metal composition into step c) therefore improves the desired separation of the other feedstocks to step c) in combination with obtaining a desired separation of the metals that have been recovered from step f).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, step e) comprises adding a second reducing agent to step e), preferably to the first solder refining slag before reducing the first solder refining slag. The applicants have further found that to perform the reduction in step e), in addition to the metal stream that may be added into step e) or as an alternative, a reducing agent may be added to step e). The applicants have found that the addition of the reducing agent assists in achieving the desired chemical reduction. The applicants have found that the second reducing agent may be a gas such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the second reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably the second reducing agent comprises iron metal, more preferably scrap iron. The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agents may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may possibly be sufficiently large that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may be limited or even hardly be required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step e) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention comprising step e), a first Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed is added to step e), preferably to the first solder refining slag before reducing the first solder refining slag, preferably the first Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed comprising and more preferably being dross which has been obtained from downstream processing of concentrated streams of Pb and/or Sn.

The applicants have found that step e) is also a very suitable location in the process for introducing materials that are rich in tin and/or lead, yet poor in copper and nickel, but which may contain metals which under the process conditions have a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and lead. Their addition to step e) brings the advantage that the tin and/or lead are readily recovered as part of the first crude solder metal composition, and are withdrawn from the process, while the so-called “less noble” metals have a short and straight process pathway into the second spent slag produced in the downstream step f).

The applicants have found that step e) is very suitable for recovering tin and/or lead, and optionally antimony and/or arsenic, in raw materials or process by-products that are rich in such metals yet relatively low in copper and/or nickel. The applicants have found that the first Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed may further contain metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead, such as sodium, potassium, calcium. Such metals may e.g. be introduced as part of process chemicals used in downstream steps for refining a tin and/or lead rich stream such as the first crude solder metal composition or a downstream derivative. The applicants have found that step e) is very suitable for recovering valuable metals from a dross by-product formed in one of the refining steps performed as part of the processes disclosed in WO 2018/060202 A1 or similar. Such dross by-product streams typically entrain economically significant amounts of tin and/or lead, but also contain the other metals that may have been introduced as part of process chemicals.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention comprises the addition of a fresh feed to the furnace charge of step d). The applicants have found that step d) is highly suitable for recovering valuable metals from their oxides. The copper, tin and/or lead added as part of fresh feed to step d) in an oxide form may readily be recovered as elemental metal in the metal phases formed in step d), e) or f) under the process conditions. The applicants have found that step d) is therefore suitable for recycling e.g. volumes of an end slag containing particular metals above desirable levels, and hence economically or ecologically less suitable for disposal, or volumes of slag layers that have collected as a crust that may grow on the inside of containers used for transporting molten slags from one process step to another. The applicants have found that adding such materials as fresh feed to step d) allows for an improved recovery of the valuable metals therein.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the step of:

-   k) adding at least a part of the third copper refining slag to the     first dilute copper metal composition obtained from step d), thereby     forming a second liquid bath, and/or adding at least a part of the     third copper refining slag to step l); -   l) partially oxidizing the second liquid bath, thereby forming a     first high-copper metal composition and a third solder refining     slag, followed by separating the third solder refining slag from the     first high-copper metal composition.

The applicants have found that the second enriched copper metal phase formed in step h) may be further enriched in copper by submitting the stream to the subsequent oxidation step j). The subsequent oxidation step leads to the formation of the third copper refining slag, which may still contain economically significant amounts of valuable metals other than copper, but in which also an economically significant amount of copper is entrained. The advantage is that these valuable non-copper metals become recoverable from the third copper refining slag in a much more simple manner as compared to the amounts of non-copper metals remaining in the third enriched copper metal phase if this stream would be subjected to a copper electrorefining step for the recovery of high purity copper in which the non-copper metals have a tendency to represent a process burden. Some non-copper metals remain during electrorefining in the so-called anode slime and some other non-copper metals dissolve in the electrolyte.

The applicants have further found that the three consecutive oxidation steps as part of the series b), h) and j) are able to produce, from a black copper starting raw material which may be rather dilute in copper but rich in tin and/or lead, a third enriched copper metal phase which has a copper concentration which is highly suitable for further purification by electrorefining, hence may be called “anode grade”. The applicants have found that the sequence of oxidation steps as specified is able, from a black copper of hardly more than 75% wt of copper to produce a third enriched copper metal phase which contains as much as 99.0% wt of copper. The applicants have further found that, together with processing of the black copper fed to step b), extra copper-containing raw materials may be processed through the specified sequence of oxidation steps.

The applicants have found that the composition of the third copper refining slag is highly suitable for being added into the second liquid bath. The applicants therefore prefer to add all of the third copper refining slag into the second liquid bath.

The stream is firstly suitable because the third copper refining slag still contains economically significant amounts of the valuable metals of interest tin and/or lead, but is also relatively rich in copper, which may be used as a useful extracting agent for non-copper metals such as tin and/or lead.

In the second place, the third copper refining slag contains very little amounts of metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead, more particularly metals that are less desired in the final purified metal products copper, tin and/or lead, and which metals are preferably removed from the process according to the present invention as part of a spent slag. Because the third copper refining slag is very poor in such metals, the addition of this slag into the second liquid bath causes very little useless furnace volume to be consumed unnecessarily in any of the downstream steps in the process, i.e. any of the steps in the process path for such “less noble” metals for ending up in a spent slag, such as the step l) in which the second liquid bath is subjected to an oxidation step and leading to another set of metal phase and slag phase.

The applicants have further found that any further recovery of valuable metals from the second liquid bath, such as in step l), may be highly energy efficient because of the addition of at least a part of the third copper refining slag in step k). In step k), the third copper refining slag which is added into the second liquid bath upstream of any further metal recovery steps acts as an oxidant for impurities in the second liquid bath. The copper oxides in the third copper refining slag readily reduce to elemental copper in step l), thereby releasing the oxygen for converting metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper from their elemental metal form into oxides. The elemental copper formed in the processing of the second liquid bath in step l) therefore moves to the metal phase, in step l) being the first high-copper metal composition. The metals that convert to their oxides in step l) move to the slag phase, i.e. the third solder refining slag. The applicants have found that in step l) a significant amount of Sn and/or Pb may be moved from the metal phase being fed, towards the slag phase. The applicants have also found that these chemical conversions in step l), of copper oxides to elemental copper and of tin, lead and/or other metals into their oxides, may be achieved with relatively limited extra input of energy, external oxidants and/or reductants, and hence with relatively limited consumption of energy or input of process chemicals.

The applicants have found that in step l), most of the copper and nickel present in the first dilute copper metal composition as well as in the third copper refining slag may be recovered in the first high-copper metal composition, together with some of the bismuth and antimony that may be present, while most of the tin and/or lead in those streams may be recovered in the third solder refining slag. The applicants have found that the third solder refining slag may become advantageously rich in tin and/or lead and also relatively lean in copper, such that this slag may be relatively easily further processed for recovery of most of its solder metals into a stream that resembles a crude solder stream and is suitable for being processed as a crude solder stream.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the first high-copper metal composition is at least partially recycled to a suitable location upstream in the process. Preferably this location is step b), but a portion of the recycled stream may be recycled to step h) and/or step j) and/or step c) and/or step d).

The applicants have found that on the one hand the step l) is also highly suitable for providing a path for the removal of at least a part of the nickel from the overall foundry process, because any nickel being introduced at any upstream location into the process is likely to end up as part of the first high-copper metal composition. The applicants have found on the other hand, that if no or only a low amount of nickel is introduced with the feeds into the overall process, that the first high-copper metal composition has a composition which is highly comparable to the black copper feed provided in step a), that therefore this first high-copper metal composition stream may readily be recycled to step b), or alternatively and/or in addition partially to any one of the subsequent copper oxidation steps h) and j), for the recovery of its copper as part of the third enriched copper metal phase. The process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623 includes such a recycle of a copper-rich stream to the first oxidation step performed on the black copper. Any recycle of the first high-copper metal composition from step l) to the step b), and/or to one of the subsequent steps h) or j) however benefits, in comparison to the prior art, from the upstream removal of impurities into one of the spent slags, such as the first spent slag produced in step c) and/or the second spent slag produced in step f).

The applicants have found, if nickel is present in the feeds to the process, that a partial recycle of the first high-copper metal composition to an upstream location in the process, such as step b), h) or j), brings the advantage that nickel concentrates up to a higher level in the first high-copper metal composition, as compared to a process without such partial recycle. This concentration effect brings the advantage that the withdrawal of a particular amount of nickel from the process, e.g. in order to keep the levels of nickel in particular steps of the process below particular levels, requires a lower amount of copper to be withdrawn together with the amount of nickel. This brings the advantages that the removal of nickel from the process is more effective, that the further processing of the withdrawn copper/nickel mixture may be operated more effectively and in smaller equipment, and may also be operated more efficiently, i.e. with a lower consumption of energy and/or process chemicals.

The applicants have found that the first high-copper metal composition which is withdrawn from the process may be further processed for the recovery of copper and nickel contained therein by means that are known in the art, or by preference by the means described in our co-pending patent application EP-A-18172598.7.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at the end of step l) the first high-copper metal composition is only partially removed from the furnace, and a portion of this metal composition is kept in the furnace together with the third solder refining slag. This portion may represent at least 3% wt, 4% wt or 5% wt of the total of first high-copper metal composition present in the furnace at the end of step l), preferably at least 10% wt, more preferably at least 20% wt, even more preferably at least 30% wt, yet more preferably at least 40% wt of the total of first high-copper metal composition present in the furnace. The applicants have found that this amount of metal improves the operability of the furnace during the present and the subsequent process step.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the following step:

-   m) partially reducing the third solder refining slag, thereby     forming a second dilute copper metal composition and a fourth solder     refining slag, followed by separating the fourth solder refining     slag from the second dilute copper metal composition.

The applicants have found that the third solder refining slag may contain amounts of copper and/or nickel that are still rather high for deriving a crude solder type stream from this slag. The applicants therefore prefer to include the additional partial reduction step m) as part of the process according to the present invention. The applicants have found that a significant amount of the copper and/or nickel present in the third solder refining slag may readily be removed as part of the second dilute copper metal composition formed in step m), while most of the tin and/or lead may be kept as part of the fourth solder refining slag, before subjecting the fourth solder refining slag to further processing. Preferably the step m) is operated such that at least 50% wt of the copper present in step m) is removed as part of the second dilute copper metal composition, more preferably at least 70% wt, even more preferably at least 80% wt, yet more preferably at least 90% wt. Alternatively or in addition, step m) is preferably operated such that at least 50% wt of the tin present in step m) is retrieved in the fourth solder refining slag, more preferably at least 70% wt, even more preferably at least 80% wt, yet more preferably at least 90% wt.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at the end of step m) the second dilute copper metal composition is only partially removed from the furnace, and a portion of this metal composition is kept in the furnace together with the fourth solder refining slag. This portion may represent at least 1% wt, 2% wt, 3% wt, 4% wt or 5% wt of the total of second dilute copper metal composition present in the furnace at the end of step m), preferably at least 10% wt, more preferably at least 20% wt, even more preferably at least 30% wt, yet more preferably at least 40% wt of the total of second dilute copper metal composition present in the furnace. The applicants have found that this amount of metal improves the operability of the furnace during at least one of the subsequent process steps.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the following step:

-   n) partially reducing the fourth solder refining slag, thereby     forming a second crude solder metal composition and a fifth solder     refining slag, followed by separating the second crude solder metal     composition from the fifth solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the fourth solder refining slag is a highly suitable feedstock for recovering a crude solder type material, highly acceptable for further processing into higher purity tin and/or lead prime products. The applicants have found that in the partial reduction step n), a high portion of the tin and/or lead present in the furnace may be recovered in the second crude solder metal composition, together with practically all of the copper and/or nickel present, while most of the metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen, such as iron, may be retained as part of the fifth solder refining slag. The applicants have found that the second crude solder metal composition is suitable for being further processed, such as by subjecting the stream to a treatment with silicon metal as described in DE 102012005401 A1. Alternatively or in addition, this second crude solder stream, optionally post an enrichment step for increasing the tin and/or lead content, may be further tuned as described in WO 2018/060202 A1 or similar, and subsequently be subjected to a distillation and recovery of the tin and/or lead as high purity metal products, as described in that same document.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the following step:

-   o) partially reducing the fifth solder refining slag, thereby     forming a third lead-tin based metal composition and a third spent     slag, followed by separating the third spent slag from the third     lead-tin based metal composition.

The applicants have found that it is advantageous to provide the extra reduction step o) downstream of the crude solder production step n), in particular a partial reduction step on the fifth solder refining slag which was recovered from that step n). The applicants have found that more valuable metals may be extracted from this fifth solder refining slag by step o), making the remaining slag even more suitable for use in a valuable end-use application, and/or for disposing of this slag as spent slag. The applicants have further found that the extra reduction step o) is also able to reduce leachable metals, such as lead, in the slag to sufficiently low levels such that the slag left over from step o) may be used further as valuable material, or be discarded responsibly, and this with a very limited number of extra treatment steps, and possibly without any further treatment steps, for reducing the concentration of sensitive metals such as lead and/or zinc.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the following step:

-   p) partially oxidizing the third lead-tin based metal composition,     thereby forming a fourth lead-tin based metal composition and a     sixth solder refining slag, followed by separating the sixth solder     refining slag from the fourth lead-tin based metal composition.

The applicants have found that step p) brings the advantage that the third lead-tin based metal composition recovered from step o) is split into on the one hand a metal stream in which the copper from step p) concentrates, together with most of the nickel present, and on the other hand a slag phase in which very little copper but a significant portion of the tin and/or lead present in step p) concentrate, together with most of the iron, and also zinc if present. The applicants have found that this split brings the advantage that the two streams resulting from step p) may be processed separately and preferably also differently, using steps that are more appropriately suitable for their compositions.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the process further comprises the following step:

-   q) recycling at least a part of the sixth solder refining slag to     step d), optionally by adding at least a part of it to the first     liquid bath before oxidizing the first liquid bath in step d),     and/or recycling at least a part of the sixth solder refining slag     to step e), preferably before reducing the first solder refining     slag.

The applicants prefer to recycle the sixth solder refining slag to step d) and/or to step e) because this allows a recovery of the tin and/or lead in this slag stream into the first crude solder metal composition from step e) or the second crude solder metal composition from step n), while the iron present in the sixth solder refining slag quite readily finds its way into the second spent slag from step f) without creating the risk that the iron would build up in a cycle as part of the process according to the present invention.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention comprising step p), the process further comprises the following step:

-   r) recycling at least a part of the fourth lead-tin based metal     composition to step l), optionally by adding at least a part of the     fourth lead-tin based metal composition to the second liquid bath,     preferably before oxidizing the second liquid bath as part of step     l).

The applicants prefer to recycle the fourth lead-tin based metal composition to step l) because this metal stream is highly suitable for being contacted, together with the first dilute copper metal composition from step d), with the third copper refining slag from step j) that is added to the second liquid bath, whereby the third copper refining slag is partially reduced and the two added metal compositions are partially oxidized and an equilibrium may establish in which most of the copper present in the furnace, together with the nickel and some of the tin and/or lead, end up as part of the first high-copper metal composition, while any rejectable metals (iron, silicon, aluminium), together with a significant portion of the tin and/or lead present, end up as part of the third solder refining slag produced by step l).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, step o) comprises adding a sixth reducing agent to the step o), i.e. the step for reducing the fifth solder refining slag, preferably before reducing the fifth solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the sixth reducing agent allows to drive the result of reduction step o) towards the desired separation of valuable metals into the third lead-tin based metal composition and maintaining rejectable metals into the third spent slag. The applicants have found that the sixth reducing agent may be a gas such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the sixth reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably iron metal, more preferably scrap iron. The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agent may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may be sufficiently large such that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may hardly be required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step o) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

The applicants prefer to add to step o) an amount of sixth reducing agent that is rich in copper and iron, preferably as multimetal material, because this multimetal material is more readily available at more advantageous conditions than higher purity tin, high purity copper or higher purity iron. Another suitable material may be electric motors, preferably such motors after use, because of their high contents of iron for the cores and copper for the windings. The applicants have found that the copper and/or tin may readily be kept in the metal phase and be kept from moving into the slag phase, while any iron into this copper-containing fresh feed readily moves into the slag phase as iron oxide, while it helps the chemical reduction of other metals that have under the process conditions a lower affinity for oxygen than iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, step o) comprises adding a second copper containing fresh feed to step o), preferably before reducing the fifth solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the addition of copper into reduction step o) brings a significant advantage because the copper may act as an excellent extracting agent for any other valuable metals that have remained in the fifth solder refining slag remaining after step n), and that this advantageous extraction may be performed without losing significant amounts of copper in the third spent slag that is produced in step o).

The applicants have further found that the copper-containing fresh feed which may be added into step o) may contain significant amounts of other valuable metals, in particular of zinc, nickel, tin and/or lead. The applicants have found, provided sufficient copper is provided, that the losses of particularly tin and/or lead into the third spent slag may be kept very low and therefore do not jeopardize the possible further uses or routing of this third spent slag, nor represent an economically significant loss of valuable metals.

The applicants have found that a large variety of materials are suitable as copper-containing fresh feed to step o). The applicants however prefer that the copper-containing fresh feed to step o) comprises only limited amounts of, and preferably little to no, combustibles, i.e. substances that readily oxidize under the process conditions, e.g. organic materials such as plastics and/or hydrocarbons, rests of fuel or oil, etc., such that the temperature in step o) remains readily controllable.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including step o), the second copper containing fresh feed comprises black copper and/or spent or reject copper anode material.

The applicants have found that into step o) a significant amount of black copper, similar in composition to the black copper which was provided in step a), may be added for extracting more valuable metals out of the fifth solder refining slag obtained from step n) without excessively losing extra valuable metals into the third spent slag from step o). The applicants have found that the amounts of such black copper from an upstream smelter step that are acceptable in step o) are very significant, even of the order of magnitude of the amount of black copper provided in step a) as feed for step b). The applicants have found that the inclusion of step o) into the process according to the present invention significantly increases the capability to process smelter-type black copper, and hence to process higher amounts of the lower quality raw materials that bring valuable metals at low value and therefore with a high value upgrade potential. The applicants have found that this way of operating step o) brings the extra advantage that a significant portion of the black copper from the upstream smelter step may be processed without all that black copper needing to pass through at least the first step b) of the copper refining sequence. Any metals in the black copper feed to step o) that have under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than copper are most likely already removed before the copper from this black copper fresh feed to step o) may find its way, one way or another, into step b) and may subsequently pass through the copper refining process sequence of steps b), h) and j) and end up in the anode quality copper product.

The applicants have also found that step o) is also highly suitable for introducing spent and/or reject copper anode material. The production of high quality copper typically comprises an electrolysis step, in which copper dissolves from an anode into the electrolyte and re-deposits on a cathode. The anode is typically not fully consumed and the anode is removed as spent copper anode material from the electrolysis bath before the last copper thereof has been dissolved. The applicants have found that step o) is highly suitable for introducing such spent copper anode material. Copper anodes for such copper electrolysis step are typically cast by pouring a suitable amount of molten anode quality copper into a mould and letting the copper solidify upon cooling. For a good functioning of the copper electrolysis, the anodes have to comply with fairly stringent dimensional and shape requirements. Non-compliant anodes are preferably not used but represent reject copper anode material. The applicants have found that step o) is also highly suitable for introducing such reject copper anode material.

The applicants prefer to introduce the spent and/or reject copper anode material as a solid with little to no preheat. This brings the advantage that the melting of this material consumes at least a part of the heat of reaction generated by the chemical reactions occurring in step o).

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention comprising step n), step n) further comprises adding a fifth reducing agent to step n), preferably before reducing the fourth solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the fifth reducing agent allows to drive the result of reduction step n) towards the desired separation of valuable metals into the second crude solder metal composition and maintaining rejectable metals into the fifth solder refining slag. The applicants have found that the fifth reducing agent may be a gas such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including step n), the fifth reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably the fifth reducing agent comprises iron metal, more preferably scrap iron.

The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agents may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may possibly be sufficiently large that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may be limited or hardly be required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step n) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

Preferably the fifth reducing agent contains little copper and/or nickel, more preferably less than 1% wt of copper and nickel together. This brings the advantage that little or no extra copper and/or nickel shows up in the second crude solder metal composition, such that any consumption of process chemicals in a downstream step for refining this crude solder composition is not significantly increased.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including step n), a second Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed is added to step n), preferably before reducing the fourth solder refining slag, preferably the second Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed comprising and preferably being dross obtained from downstream processing of concentrated streams of Pb and/or Sn.

The applicants have found that step n) is also a very suitable location in the process for introducing materials that are rich in tin and/or lead, poor in copper and nickel, but which may contain metals which under the process conditions have a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and lead. Their addition to step n) brings the advantage that the tin and/or lead are readily recovered as part of the second crude solder metal composition, and are withdrawn from the process, while the so-called “less noble” metals have a short and straight process pathway into the third spent slag produced in the downstream step o).

The applicants have found that step n) is very suitable for recovering tin and/or lead, and optionally antimony and/or arsenic, in raw materials or process by-products that are rich in such metals yet relatively low in copper and/or nickel. The applicants have found that the second Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed may further contain metals having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin and/or lead, such as sodium, potassium, calcium. Such metals may e.g. be introduced as part of process chemicals used in downstream steps for refining a tin and/or lead rich stream such as the first or the second crude solder metal composition or a downstream derivative thereof. The applicants have found that step n) is very suitable for recovering valuable metals from a dross by-product formed in one of the refining steps performed as part of the processes disclosed in WO 2018/060202 A1 or similar. Such dross by-product streams typically entrain economically significant amounts of tin and/or lead, but also contain the other metals that may have been introduced as part of process chemicals.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention comprising step m), the process further comprises the following step:

-   s) recycling at least a part of the second dilute copper metal     composition formed in step m) to step c), preferably by adding at     least a part of the second dilute copper metal composition before     reducing the first copper refining slag as part of step c), and/or     recycling at least a part of the second dilute copper metal     composition to step d), preferably before the first lead-tin based     metal composition is oxidized, and/or recycling at least a part of     the second dilute copper metal composition to the first liquid bath,     preferably before oxidising the first liquid bath as part of step     d).

The applicants have found, regardless which recycle option is selected for recycling the second dilute copper metal composition, that the copper recovered in the second dilute copper metal composition, in addition to any nickel that may be present, readily is recovered in the first dilute copper metal composition that is formed in step d), and further downstream readily finds its way into the first high-copper metal composition that is formed in step l), with which the copper may be withdrawn from the process, while at the same time any tin and/or lead in the second dilute copper metal composition may readily find its way into the first solder refining slag formed in step d) and may then further downstream be recovered as part of the first crude solder metal composition formed in step e), with which they may be withdrawn from the process.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including step m), step m) further comprises adding a fourth reducing agent to step m), preferably before reducing the third solder refining slag.

The applicants have found that the fourth reducing agent allows to drive the result of reduction step m) towards the desired separation of valuable metals into the second dilute copper metal composition and maintaining rejectable metals into the fourth solder refining slag. The applicants have found that the fourth reducing agent may be a gas such as methane or natural gas, but may also be a solid or a liquid, such as carbon, a hydrocarbon, even aluminium or iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including step m), the fourth reducing agent comprises, and preferably is, a metal having under the process conditions a higher affinity for oxygen than tin, lead, copper and nickel, preferably iron metal, more preferably iron scrap.

The applicants prefer to use iron, preferably scrap iron as the reducing agent, because of its high availability at economically very attractive conditions. The applicants have found that the addition of the solid reducing agents may bring the additional benefit that the furnace requires less additional heating in order to maintain or reach its desired temperature. The applicants have found that this benefit may be sufficiently large such that additional heating by burning a fuel using air and/or oxygen may be limited or even hardly required in order to reach the desired temperature. The applicants have further found that the step m) may further benefit from the addition of silica, as explained elsewhere in this document.

The applicants prefer to add to step m) an amount of fourth reducing agent that is rich in copper and iron, preferably as multimetal material, because this multimetal material is more readily available at more advantageous conditions than higher purity tin, higher purity copper or higher purity iron. Another suitable material may be electric motors, preferably such motors after use, because of their high contents of iron for the cores and copper for the windings. The applicants have found that the copper may readily be kept in the metal phase and be kept from moving into the slag phase, while any lead, tin and iron into this copper-containing fresh feed readily moves into the slag phase as its respective oxide, while it helps the chemical reduction of other metals that have under the process conditions a lower affinity for oxygen than tin, lead and iron.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least to one of the process steps involving the separation of a metal phase from a slag phase, is added an amount of silica, preferably in the form of sand.

The applicants have found that the silica promotes the formation of the slag phase, improves the slag fluidity and improves the separation by gravity of the metal phase from the slag phase. Without wanting to be bound by this theory, the applicants believe that the reduction of the slag viscosity by itself significantly improves the phase separation because the metal bubbles formed in the slag phase because of a chemical reduction more readily move through the slag phase and may thus arrive at the interphase between the two phases, where they are able to be combined with the underlying continuous metal phase. The addition of silica further beneficially affects the equilibrium of particular metals between the metal phase and the slag phase, in particular for lead. The silica also increases the acidity of the slag, which further affects the equilibria in the furnace between the different phases. When the slag contains iron and is withdrawn from the furnace and granulated by contacting the hot liquid slag with water, the addition of silica may avoid the risk that the iron is present in a form which acts as a catalyst for the splitting of water and hence the formation of hydrogen gas, which represents an explosion hazard. Silica also increases the activity of any tin in the slag, forcing some SnO₂ to reduce to Sn metal, which Sn will move to the metal phase. This last mechanism reduces the amount of Sn that remains in the slag for the same underlying metal composition.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, in which a black copper or black copper composition is added to at least one of steps b), f) and o), the black copper is produced by a smelter step.

The applicants have found that a smelter step is highly suitable, and even preferable, for producing any one and preferably all of the black copper compositions that are used as possible feed and fresh feeds to steps of the process according to the present invention, in particular steps b), h), f) and/or o). A smelter step offers the advantage of being simple in operation and in equipment, hence economically advantageous. A smelter step brings the further advantage of being tolerant in terms of raw material quality. A smelter step is able to accept raw materials that are highly diluted and/or contaminated with a wide variety of components, as described above in this document. Because these mixed and/or contaminated raw materials have hardly any other end-use, they may be supplied at economically very attractive conditions. The capability of processing these raw materials and upgrading the valuable metals contained therein, is therefore of interest to the operator of the process according to the present invention.

In a smelting furnace the metals are molten, and organics and other combustible materials are burned off. Metals having a relatively high affinity for oxygen convert to their oxides and collect in the lower density supernatant slag phase. The metals having a lower affinity for oxygen remain as elemental metal and remain in the higher density liquid metal phase in the bottom of the smelter furnace. In a copper production step, the smelting step may be operated such that most iron ends up in the slag, while copper, tin and lead end up in the metal product, a stream which is typically called “black copper”. Also most of the nickel, antimony, arsenic and bismuth end up as part of the black copper product.

The applicants have found that the metal product from a smelter step may be introduced into the process according to the present invention as a molten liquid, but may alternatively be allowed to solidify and cool down, such as by granulation, which allows for possible transport between different industrial sites, and subsequently be introduced into the process before or after being melted again.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention, at least one of the first crude solder metal composition and the second crude solder metal composition is pre-refined using silicon metal to produce a pre-refined solder metal composition. A suitable pre-refinement treatment for such crude solder metal composition is described in DE 102012005401 A1.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the step of cooling the first crude solder metal composition and/or the second crude solder metal composition and/or the pre-refined solder metal composition down to a temperature of at most 825° C. to produce a bath containing a first supernatant dross which by gravity becomes floating upon a first liquid molten tuned solder phase. The applicants have found that this further downstream process step is able to remove a significant amount of copper and other undesirable metals from the crude solder. Further details for this step may be found in WO 2018/060202 A1 or similar. The applicants have further found that this cooling step, in combination with some of the further downstream process steps performed on this lead/tin stream, may offer an alternative, at least partially, to the pre-retreatment with silicon metal mentioned elsewhere in this document. This is advantageous because silicon metal is a rather scarce process chemical and it is of benefit if its use may be reduced and/or eliminated.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the step of adding an alkali metal and/or an earth alkali metal, or a chemical compound comprising an alkali metal and/or an earth alkali metal, to the first crude solder metal composition and/or to the second crude solder metal composition and/or to the pre-refined solder metal composition and/or to the first liquid molten tuned solder phase to form a bath containing a second supernatant dross which by gravity comes floating on top of a second liquid molten tuned solder phase.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the step of removing the second supernatant dross from the second liquid molten tuned solder phase, thereby forming a second tuned solder.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the step of removing the first supernatant dross from the first liquid molten tuned solder phase, thereby forming a first tuned solder.

In an embodiment, the process according to the present invention further comprises the step of distilling the first tuned solder and/or the second tuned solder, wherein lead (Pb) is removed from the solder by evaporation and a distillation overhead product and a distillation bottom product are obtained, preferably by a vacuum distillation.

In an embodiment of the process according to the present invention including the step of distilling at least one of the solder streams to remove lead (Pb) from the solder by evaporation and a distillation overhead product and a distillation bottom product are obtained, the distillation bottom product comprises at least 0.6% wt of lead. The benefits thereof are explained in WO 2018/060202 A1.

In an embodiment of the present invention, at least a part of the process is electronically monitored and/or controlled, preferably by a computer program. The applicants have found that the control of steps from the process according to the present invention electronically, preferably by a computer program, brings the advantage of a much better processing, with results that are much more predictable and which are closer to the process targets. For instance on the basis of temperature measurements, if desired also pressure and/or level measurements and/or in combination with the results of chemical analyses of samples taken from process streams and/or analytical results obtained on-line, the control program may control the equipment relating to the supply or removal of electrical energy, supply of heat or of a cooling medium, a flow and/or a pressure control. The applicants have found that such monitoring or control is particularly advantageous with steps that are operated in continuous mode, but that it may also be advantageous with steps that are operated in batch or semi-batch. In addition and preferably, the monitoring results obtained during or after the performance of steps in the process according to the present invention are also of use for the monitoring and/or control of other steps as part of the process according to the present invention, and/or of processes that are applied upstream or downstream of the process according to the present invention, as part of an overall process within which the process according to the present invention is only a part. Preferably the entire overall process is electronically monitored, more preferably by at least one computer program. Preferably the overall process is electronically controlled as much as possible.

The applicants prefer that the computer control also provides that data and instructions are passed on from one computer or computer program to at least one other computer or computer program or module of the same computer program, for the monitoring and/or control of other processes, including but not limited to the processes described in this document.

The applicants prefer to operate particular steps of the process according to the present invention in a top blown rotary converter (TBRC), optionally a furnace as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,623, FIGS. 3-5 and their associated description, or a furnace commonly known as a Kaldo furnace or Kaldo converter. The applicants particularly prefer to use this type of furnace in the steps in which a chemical reaction is taking place and/or in which an equilibrium is desired between a molten slag phase and an underlying molten metal phase.

The applicants have found that this type of furnaces allows to process complex materials, materials which generate a high amount of slag phase, and material with large variations in terms of physical appearance as well as in chemical composition. This type of furnace is able to accept as feeds slags from other process steps and/or large pieces of solid materials, i.e. feedstocks that are much more difficult to introduce into other types of furnace designs.

Such furnaces bring the advantage that the furnace may be rotated, such that a more intensive contact between solids and liquids, and between different liquid phases may be obtained, which allows to approach and/or reach the desired equilibrium between the phases faster.

Preferably the rotation speed of the furnace is variable, such that the rotation speed of the furnace may be adapted to the process step which is performed in the furnace. Process steps requiring reaction and moving the furnace content towards equilibrium prefer a high rotation speed, while other process steps, such as when solid fresh feed needs to be melted, may prefer a low rotation speed or possibly even no rotation at all.

Preferably the inclination angle of the furnace is variable, which allows for a better control of the mixing, and therewith also of the reaction kinetics. A variable inclination angle also allows for a better start-up on solid feeds, preferably at a low inclination angle, until sufficient and sufficiently hot liquid, and hence more fluid liquid, has been formed to keep the remaining solids afloat.

The applicants prefer under particular conditions to operate the furnace at least periodically not in the conventional rotating mode but in a so-called “rocking mode”, i.e. alternately rotating the furnace in opposite directions only a part of a full 360° rotation. The applicants have found that this mode of operation may avoid possibly extreme forces on the furnace driving equipment when the furnace would be fully rotating with the same content. The applicants prefer to apply this mode of operation when there is still a relatively high amount of solids in the furnace charge and too low a liquid presence for keeping these solids afloat, or when the liquid in the furnace is still poorly fluid, e.g. because it is still rather cold.

The applicants prefer the TBRC to have a refractory lining, and more preferably that lining having two layers. Preferably the inner layer of the lining, i.e. the layer in contact with the furnace content, is made of a material that visually brightens up at the high temperatures of the furnace content during full operation, while the underlying layer material remains dark when it is exposed to the vessel internal temperatures. This setup allows a rapid spotting of defects in the lining by simple visual inspection during furnace operation.

The outer layer of the lining thus acts as a kind of safety layer. The applicants prefer that this safety lining has a lower thermal conductivity than the inner lining layer.

When installing the lining of the TBRC, the lining preferably being constructed by arranging individual and conically shaped refractory bricks, the applicants prefer to provide a sacrificial layer in between individual lining elements or bricks, such as a layer of cardboard or roofing. This brings the advantage, as the furnace temperature heats up during its first campaign, that the sacrificial layer incinerates and disappears, and makes room for the thermal expansion of the bricks.

Several steps in the process according to the present invention prefer that the underlying molten metal phase is tapped from the furnace while the supernatant liquid slag phase is still in the furnace. The applicants prefer to tap this liquid metal by means of a drain or tap hole in the furnace refractory lining. The applicants prefer to plug this hole by means of a sacrificial metal rod during the furnace movements of the operation. In order to prepare the metal tapping, the applicants prefer to burn out this rod while it is kept above the furnace liquid level, and to temporarily plug the burned out tap hole with a combustible plug, e.g. made of cardboard, after which the furnace is turned into the metal tapping position. The applicants have found that the time of incinerating the combustible plug provides the time to turn the furnace into the metal tapping position and the tap hole to pass the slag phase.

For heating the furnace with external heat supply, the applicants prefer to use a burner which is burning a mixture of fuel and oxygen source, rather than introducing the fuel and the oxygen source separately into the furnace. The applicants have found that such a mixing burner may be more difficult to operate, but that it brings the advantage that the flame may be more accurately be directed to the preferred spot inside the furnace.

The applicants have found that the ratio of fuel relative to the oxygen source may readily be used to control the oxidative/reductive furnace regime inside the furnace, and hence assist in adjusting and/or controlling the direction of the chemical reactions that are supposed to take place inside the furnace.

The applicants have found that those steps as part of the process according to the present invention in which cold feedstocks are introduced may generate dioxins and/or volatile organic compounds (VOC). The applicants prefer to perform these process steps in furnaces that are equipped with proper equipment to capture dioxins and/or VOC's from the exhaust vapours. The applicants have found that the process may be operated in a way that only a part of the furnaces need such exhaust treatment equipment, while for the other furnaces dust collection and/or filtering is sufficient for meeting the legally imposed emission standards.

The process according to the present invention includes several occasions for transferring a liquid molten metal and/or slag phase from one furnace to another. The applicants have found that this transfer is most conveniently performed using transfer ladles. In order to protect the construction materials of the transfer ladles, the applicants prefer to provide the ladles with an internal layer of solid slag coating.

EXAMPLE

The following example shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The example is further illustrated by the FIG. 1, which is showing a flow diagram of the core part of the process according to the present invention. In this process part are recovered, from a variety of various feedstocks and starting from a black copper composition 1, a refined anode grade copper product 9, a high copper metal composition by-product 22, two crude solder metal composition products 18 and 26, and three spent slags 12, 20 and 28.

In the FIG. 1, the numbers represent the following claim features:

-   1. Black copper composition feedstock to step b) (100) -   2. Fresh feed to step b) (100) -   3. First copper refining slag -   4. First enriched copper metal phase -   5. Fresh feed to step h) (200) -   6. Second copper refining slag -   7. Second enriched copper metal phase -   8. Third copper refining slag -   9. Third enriched copper metal phase—Anode Grade -   10. Second lead-tin based metal composition -   11. Second dilute copper metal composition -   12. First spent slag -   13. First lead-tin based metal composition -   14. Sixth solder refining slag to the first liquid bath (450) before     step d) (500) -   15. First dilute copper metal composition -   16. First solder refining slag -   17. First Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed to step e) (600) -   18. First crude solder metal composition -   19. Second solder refining slag -   20. Second spent slag -   21. Fourth lead-tin based metal composition -   22. First high-copper metal composition—portion removed from the     process -   23. Third solder refining slag -   24. Fourth solder refining slag -   25. Second Pb and/or Sn containing fresh feed to step n) (1000) -   26. Second crude solder metal composition -   27. Fifth solder refining slag -   28. Third spent slag -   29. Third lead-tin based metal composition -   30. First high-copper metal composition—portion recycled to step b)     and/or step d) -   31. Fresh feed to step j) (300) -   50. First copper containing fresh feed to step f) (700) -   51. Fresh feed to step p) (1200) -   52. Fresh feed to the second liquid bath (550) before step l) (800) -   53. Sixth solder refining slag recycled to step e) (600) -   55. Second copper containing fresh feed to step o) (1100) -   56. Fresh feed to step c) (400) -   57. Fresh feed to the first liquid bath (450) before step d) (500) -   58. Fresh feed to step m) (900) -   450 First liquid bath -   550 Second liquid bath -   100 Process step b) -   200 Process step h) -   300 Process step j) -   400 Process step c) -   500 Process step d) -   600 Process step e) -   700 Process step f) -   701 Process step g) -   800 Process step l) -   801 Recycle of stream 30 from step l) to process step b) and/or d) -   900 Process step m) -   901 Process step s), i.e. the recycle of stream 11 from step m) to     process step c) -   1000 Process step n) -   1100 Process step o) -   1200 Process step p) -   1201 Process step q)—Recycle of part of the sixth solder refining     slag (14) from step p) to the first liquid bath (450) and/or (53) to     process step e) (600) -   1202 Process step r)—Recycle of the fourth lead-tin based metal     composition (21) from step p) to the second liquid bath (550).

Step b) (100): A top blown rotary converter (TBRC), herein used as a refining furnace for step b) (100), was charged with 21,345 kg of black copper 1 from an upstream melting furnace, 30,524 kg of a first high-copper metal composition 30 recycled from the downstream process step l) (800) as part of a previous process cycle, and 86,060 kg of fresh feed 2. The fresh feed 2 mainly consisted of bronze, red brass and some feedstocks rich in copper but low in other valuable metals. The compositions and amounts of all the feeds to the furnace charge of step b) (100) are shown in Table I. To the feeds thus charged was added an amount of silica flux in the form of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. The feed was melted and/or heated under oxidizing conditions and partially with blowing of oxygen while the furnace was rotated.

TABLE I Black Copper First High-Cu metal Fresh Feed Step b) 1 30 2 (100) 21.345 30.524 86.060 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 16.153 75.68% 28.143 92.20% 68.410 79.49% Sn 1.114 5.22% 0.522 1.71% 1.380 1.60% Pb 2.218 10.39% 0.531 1.74% 3.116 3.62% Zn 0.989 4.63% 0.005 0.02% 2.470 2.87% Fe 0.336 1.57% 0.002 0.01% 1.747 2.03% Ni 0.428 2.00% 1.105 3.62% 0.868 1.01% Sb 0.043 0.20% 0.171 0.56% 0.085 0.10% Bi 0.005 0.03% 0.012 0.04% 0.013 0.02% As 0.013 0.06% 0.017 0.06% 0.014 0.02%

A significant amount of the zinc present in the feed was fumed out of the furnace. At the end of the first oxidation step b) (100), the first copper refining slag 3 was poured off and transferred to a slag retreatment furnace for being subjected to process step c) (400). This first copper refining slag 3 was rich in lead, tin, zinc and iron. The detailed composition of this slag 3 as well as the first enriched copper metal phase 4 and dust produced during step b) (100), together with their amounts, are shown in Table II. The first enriched copper metal phase 4 was transferred to another TBRC for being subjected to process step h) (200).

TABLE II First enriched copper metal Step b) First Cu Refining Slag-3 phase-4 Dust (100) 27.061 116.371 1.47 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 3.231 11.94% 111.367 95.70% 0.221 15.00% Sn 1.810 6.69% 1.059 0.91% 0.147 10.00% Pb 3.875 14.32% 1.760 1.51% 0.221 15.00% Zn 3.023 11.17% 0.000 0.00% 0.441 30.00% Fe 2.076 7.67% 0.005 0.00% 0.000 0.00% Ni 1.012 3.74% 1.396 1.20% 0.000 0.00% Sb 0.052 0.19% 0.249 0.21% 0.000 0.00% Bi 0.001 0.00% 0.031 0.03% 0.000 0.00% As 0.006 0.02% 0.038 0.03% 0.000 0.00%

Step h) (200): To the first enriched copper metal phase 4, 27,091 kg of copper rich fresh feed 5 was added, and also an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. This fresh feed 5 consisted of some extra black copper from the upstream smelter in addition to copper rich solid material for cooling the furnace temperature. The composition and amounts of the feeds to the furnace charge of step h) (200) are set forth in Table Ill.

TABLE III First enriched copper metal phase - 4 Fresh Feed 5 Step h) (200) 116.371 27.091 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 111.367 95.70% 23.794 92.48% Sn 1.059 0.91% 0.277 1.08% Pb 1.760 1.51% 0.579 2.25% Zn 0.000 0.00% 0.513 1.99% Fe 0.005 0.00% 0.209 0.81% Ni 1.396 1.20% 0.131 0.51% Sb 0.249 0.21% 0.015 0.06% Bi 0.031 0.03% 0.004 0.01% As 0.038 0.03% 0.002 0.01%

Oxidation of the furnace content was performed by blowing oxygen into the furnace content. At the end of the second oxidation step, the second copper refining slag 6 was poured off and transferred to another slag retreatment furnace for being subjected to step d) (500). The remaining second enriched copper metal phase 7 was transferred to another TBRC for being subjected to step j) (300). The composition and amounts of the second copper refining slag 6 and the second enriched copper metal phase 7 are shown in Table IV. As may be seen in Table IV, the metal phase 7 had significantly been enriched in copper content, in comparison with the furnace feed streams 4 and 5 in Table III.

TABLE IV Second Cu Second enriched copper Refining Slag 6 metal phase - 7 Step h) (200) 17.230 128.573 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 7.161 41.56% 126.573 98.45% Sn 1.237 7.18% 0.083 0.06% Pb 2.004 11.63% 0.316 0.25% Zn 0.515 2.99% 0.000 0.00% Fe 0.214 1.24% 0.000 0.00% Ni 0.639 3.71% 0.874 0.68% Sb 0.109 0.63% 0.154 0.12% Bi 0.009 0.05% 0.026 0.02% As 0.007 0.04% 0.033 0.03%

Step j) (300): To the second enriched copper metal phase 7, another 22,096 kg of copper rich fresh feed 31 was added. The composition and amounts of the feeds to the furnace charge of step j) (300) are shown in Table V.

TABLE V Second enriched copper metal phase - 7 Fresh Feed 31 Step j) (300) 128.573 22.096 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 126.573 98.45% 20.647 93.44% Sn 0.083 0.06% 0.077 0.35% Pb 0.316 0.25% 0.177 0.80% Zn 0.000 0.00% 0.192 0.87% Fe 0.000 0.00% 0.109 0.49% Ni 0.874 0.68% 0.029 0.13% Sb 0.154 0.12% 0.003 0.02% Bi 0.026 0.02% 0.001 0.00% As 0.033 0.03% 0.000 0.00%

Oxygen blowing was performed on the furnace content, and at the end of the blowing period an amount of sand flux was added sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity, before pouring off the third copper refining slag 8. The remaining anode grade copper metal phase 9 was removed from the furnace for further processing, e.g. purification by electrorefining. The composition and amounts of the third copper refining slag 8 and of the anode grade copper 9 are given in Table VI. As can be seen in Table VI, the metal phase 9 had been further enriched in copper content, as compared with the furnace feed streams 7 and/or 31 in Table V.

TABLE VI Third Cu Third enriched copper metal Refining Slag 8 phase - 9 - Anode Grade Step j) (300) 17.024 134.781 Mt/charge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 12.535 73.63% 133.546 99.08% Sn 0.138 0.81% 0.022 0.02% Pb 0.465 2.73% 0.025 0.02% Zn 0.192 1.13% 0.000 0.00% Fe 0.109 0.64% 0.000 0.00% Ni 0.375 2.20% 0.542 0.40% Sb 0.099 0.58% 0.057 0.04% Bi 0.006 0.04% 0.020 0.02% As 0.006 0.03% 0.028 0.02%

Step c) (400): 26,710 kg of the first copper refining slag 3 (with the composition given in Table VII), was introduced into another TBRC used as slag retreatment furnace, together with 6,099 kg of fresh feed 56 and 11,229 kg of a second dilute copper metal phase 11 obtained from a process step m) (900) from a previous process cycle and together with 23,000 kg of a second lead-tin based metal phase or composition 10 obtained from a process step f) (700) from a previous process cycle. To this furnace content, 10,127 kg of scrap iron as reducing agent was added. Further added was an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of safety, phase separation and/or slag fluidity. Once filling was completed the furnace was rotated at a speed in the range of 18-20 rpm. The composition and amounts of the feeds to the furnace charge of step c) (400) are shown in Table VII.

TABLE VII Second Pb-Sn First Cu Fresh Feed Second dilute Cu based metal Step c) Refining Slag-3 56 metal phase-11 phase-10 (400) 26.710 6.099 11.229 23.000 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 3.189 11.94% 0.987 16.18% 6.960 61.98% 16.665 72.50% Sn 1.787 6.69% 0.325 5.32% 2.095 18.66% 1.685 7.33% Pb 3.825 14.32% 0.419 6.87% 0.775 6.90% 2.521 10.97% Zn 2.983 11.17% 0.178 2.92% 0.006 0.05% 0.381 1.66% Fe 2.049 7.67% 1.440 23.61% 0.020 0.18% 1.233 5.36% Ni 0.999 3.74% 0.135 2.21% 1.291 11.50% 0.429 1.87% Sb 0.052 0.19% 0.017 0.28% 0.073 0.65% 0.044 0.19% Bi 0.001 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.002 0.02% 0.006 0.02% As 0.006 0.02% 0.000 0.00% 0.003 0.03% 0.011 0.05%

When the reduction of copper, tin and lead had sufficiently been progressed, a first lead-tin based metal composition 13, dust and a first spent slag 12 had been produced. The compositions and amounts of these products are given in Table VIII. The first spent slag 12 was poured off and removed from the process. The first lead-tin based metal composition 13 was transferred to another TBRC to become part of the first liquid bath 450.

TABLE VIII First spent slag First Pb-Sn based Step c) 12 metal phase-13 Dust (400) 31.287 46.718 1.346 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 0.111 0.35% 28.105 60.32% 0.031 2.27% Sn 0.074 0.24% 5.645 12.11% 0.170 12.64% Pb 0.156 0.50% 7.176 15.40% 0.276 20.52% Zn 2.372 7.58% 0.568 1.22% 0.612 45.50% Fe 12.049 38.51% 2.047 4.39% 0.010 0.71% Ni 0.012 0.04% 2.834 6.08% 0.002 0.12% Sb 0.000 0.00% 0.184 0.39% 0.002 0.18% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.008 0.02% 0.000 0.00% As 0.000 0.00% 0.016 0.03% 0.004 0.31%

Step d) (500): For forming the first liquid bath 450, to the 46,718 kg of first lead-tin based metal composition 13 were added 17,164 kg of the second copper refining slag 6 (having the composition given in Table IV) together with 9,541 kg of fresh feed 57, and 474 kg of sixth solder refining slag 14 (recycled from the downstream process step p) (1200) as part of a previous process cycle). Further added was an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. The compositions and amounts of the components of the first liquid bath 450, which formed the furnace charge for step d) (500), are shown in Table IX.

TABLE IX First Pb-Sn based Fresh Feed Sixth Solder Second Cu Step d) metal phase-13 57 Refining Slag-14 Refining Slag-6 (500) 46.718 9.541 0.474 17.164 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 28.105 60.32% 1.749 22.09% 0.015 3.08% 7.133 41.56% Sn 5.645 12.11% 0.484 6.11% 0.021 4.51% 1.232 7.18% Pb 7.176 15.40% 0.677 8.54% 0.060 12.69% 1.996 11.63% Zn 0.568 1.22% 0.308 3.89% 0.025 5.30% 0.513 2.99% Fe 2.047 4.39% 2.675 33.77% 0.134 28.21% 0.213 1.24% Ni 2.834 6.08% 0.209 2.63% 0.002 0.33% 0.637 3.71% Sb 0.184 0.39% 0.028 0.35% 0.000 0.01% 0.108 0.63% Bi 0.008 0.02% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.009 0.05% As 0.016 0.03% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.007 0.04%

The mixture of slags and metal phase was reacted until in the slag phase the concentrations of copper and/or nickel were sufficiently reduced. The reaction was forcing more tin and lead into the slag phase. At that point the furnace was bottom-tapped thereby removing a first dilute copper metal composition 15 from the furnace. The first solder refining slag 16 together with approximately 1 metric ton left over from the first dilute copper metal phase 15 were passed to another TBRC for being subjected to the next step e) (600). The compositions and amounts of both product streams obtained from step 500, except for the 1 metric ton of metal phase that had remained with the slag phase, are set forth in Table X.

TABLE X First Solder First dilute Cu Refining Slag - 16 metal phase - 15 Step d) (500) 28.200 49.792 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 1.047 3.71% 35.387 71.07% Sn 1.375 4.87% 5.925 11.90% Pb 5.268 18.68% 4.541 9.12% Zn 1.393 4.94% 0.023 0.05% Fe 5.059 17.94% 0.013 0.03% Ni 0.282 1.00% 3.331 6.69% Sb 0.010 0.04% 0.304 0.61% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.017 0.03% As 0.000 0.00% 0.022 0.05%

The first dilute Cu metal phase 15 from step d) contained about 0.08% wt of silver (Ag) and 0.03% wt of sulphur.

Step e) (600): 14,987 kg of first lead and tin containing fresh feed 17 was added to the first solder refining slag 16 before this mixture was being reduced in step e) (600). The reduction was done by adding 8,017 kg of scrap iron as reducing agent. Further added to the furnace as part of step e) (600) were 8,650 kg of the sixth solder refining slag 53, obtained from the downstream process step p) (1200) as part of a previous process cycle, in addition to an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. The compositions and amounts of the feeds forming the furnace charge for step e) (600) are shown in Table XI.

TABLE XI First Solder 1st Pb + Sn Refining Slag- containing Fresh Sixth Solder First dilute Cu Step e) 16 Feed-17 Refining Slag-53 metal phase-15 (600) 28.200 14.987 8.650 1.000 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 1.047 3.71% 1.361 9.08% 0.266 3.08% 0.711 71.07% Sn 1.375 4.87% 4.184 27.92% 0.390 4.51% 0.119 11.90% Pb 5.268 18.68% 7.738 51.63% 1.098 12.69% 0.091 9.12% Zn 1.393 4.94% 0.043 0.29% 0.458 5.30% 0.000 0.05% Fe 5.059 17.94% 0.106 0.71% 2.440 28.21% 0.000 0.03% Ni 0.282 1.00% 0.011 0.07% 0.029 0.33% 0.067 6.69% Sb 0.010 0.04% 0.298 1.99% 0.001 0.01% 0.006 0.61% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.002 0.01% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.03% As 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.05%

A substantial quantity of zinc was fumed out of the furnace content during this partial reduction step. The reduction was stopped when the Sn concentration in the slag phase had attained about target level. At that point the furnace was again bottom-tapped to remove the first crude solder metal composition 18 from the process. The first crude solder metal composition 18 was further processed into lead and tin prime products. The second solder refining slag 19 was passed to another TBRC for further treatment as part of step f) (700). The compositions and amounts of the first crude solder metal 18, the second solder refining slag 19 as well as the dust obtained from step e) (600) are shown in Table XII.

TABLE XII First Crude Solder Metal Composition- Second Solder Step e) 18 Refining Slag-19 Dust (600) 23.132 36.667 1.551 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 3.256 13.53% 0.116 0.39% 0.016 1.06% Sn 5.389 22.40% 0.778 2.60% 0.150 9.64% Pb 13.224 54.97% 0.652 2.18% 0.318 20.52% Zn 0.087 0.36% 1.106 3.70% 0.706 45.50% Fe 0.282 1.17% 15.003 50.20% 0.011 0.71% Ni 0.354 1.47% 0.032 0.11% 0.002 0.12% Sb 0.311 1.29% 0.002 0.01% 0.003 0.18% Bi 0.002 0.01% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% As 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.03%

Step f) (700): A further reduction step was performed on the second solder refining slag 19 by adding 1,207 kg of scrap iron as reducing agent. Further added as part of step f) (700) were 22,234 kg of first copper containing fresh feed 50 and an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of safety, phase separation and/or slag fluidity. This fresh feed 50 consisted of some extra black copper from the upstream smelter in addition to some slag materials collected leftover from other process steps. The compositions and amounts of the feeds to the furnace charge of step f) (700) are given in Table XIII.

TABLE XIII Second Solder Cu-containing Refining Slag - 19 Fresh Feed - 50 Step f) (700) 36.667 22.234 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 0.116 0.39% 16.630 75.95% Sn 0.778 2.60% 1.003 4.58% Pb 0.652 2.18% 2.052 9.37% Zn 1.106 3.70% 1.010 4.61% Fe 15.003 50.20% 0.509 2.32% Ni 0.032 0.11% 0.405 1.85% Sb 0.002 0.01% 0.042 0.19% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.005 0.03% As 0.000 0.00% 0.011 0.05%

When Cu, Sn and Pb in the slag were reduced down to at most 0.50% each, a second lead-tin based metal phase 10 and a second spent slag 20 had been produced. The compositions and amounts thereof are given in Tabled XIV. The second spent slag 20 was poured off and was removed from the process. The second lead-tin based metal composition 10 was passed onwards for the step c) (400) of the next process cycle before reducing the first copper refining slag (3).

TABLE XIV Second Pb—Sn based metal phase - 10 Second spent slag 20 Step f) (700) 23.000 37.523 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 16.665 72.50% 0.115 0.31% Sn 1.685 7.33% 0.090 0.24% Pb 2.521 10.97% 0.188 0.50% Zn 0.381 1.66% 1.726 4.60% Fe 1.233 5.36% 15.384 41.00% Ni 0.429 1.87% 0.010 0.03% Sb 0.044 0.19% 0.000 0.00% Bi 0.006 0.02% 0.000 0.00% As 0.011 0.05% 0.000 0.00%

Step l) (800): 17,024 kg of the third copper refining slag 8 (having the composition shown in Table VI) was fed to a TBRC used as slag retreatment furnace together with 14,920 kg of copper rich fresh feed 52 and 49,792 kg of the first dilute copper metal phase 15 obtained from step d) (500). Further added was an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. These materials were melted along with the fourth lead-tin based metal phase 21 (20,665 kg) obtained from the downstream process step p) (1200) as part of a previous process cycle. These feeds together composed the second liquid bath 550. Once the filling and melting was completed, the furnace was rotated at a speed of 20 rpm. The compositions and amounts of the feeds to the slag retreatment furnace charge for step l) (800) are shown in Table XV.

TABLE XV Fourth Pb-Sn based metal Fresh Feed First dilute Cu Third Cu Step l) phase-21 52 metal phase-15 Refining Slag-8 (800) 20.665 14.920 49.792 17.024 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 16.483 79.76% 3.985 30.10% 35.387 71.07% 12.535 73.63% Sn 1.882 9.11% 0.610 4.61% 5.925 11.90% 0.138 0.81% Pb 1.643 7.95% 3.104 23.45% 4.541 9.12% 0.465 2.73% Zn 0.019 0.09% 0.792 5.98% 0.023 0.05% 0.192 1.13% Fe 0.012 0.06% 1.363 10.29% 0.013 0.03% 0.109 0.64% Ni 0.533 2.58% 0.316 2.39% 3.331 6.69% 0.375 2.20% Sb 0.063 0.31% 0.043 0.33% 0.304 0.61% 0.099 0.58% Bi 0.006 0.03% 0.000 0.00% 0.017 0.03% 0.006 0.04% As 0.011 0.05% 0.000 0.00% 0.022 0.05% 0.006 0.03%

The mixture was reacted, if needed in addition partially oxidized using oxygen blowing, until the concentrations of copper and nickel in the slag had about reached their target values. At that point the furnace was bottom-tapped for removing 64,500 kg of the first high-copper metal composition (streams 22 and 30 together) from the third solder refining slag 23. The third solder refining slag 23, together with approximately 6 metric tons of the first high copper metal phase that was kept with the slag, was passed onto another TBRC for further treatment as part of step m) (900). The compositions and amounts of the product streams at the end of step l) (800) are set forth in Table XVI, and this time include the 6 metric tons of metal phase that remained with the slag phase on its way to the next treatment step.

TABLE XVI First High Cu Third Solder metal phase 22 + 30 Refining Slag 23 Step l) (800) 70.500 39.276 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 59.469 92.20% 3.182 8.10% Sn 1.103 1.71% 7.317 18.63% Pb 1.122 1.74% 8.515 21.68% Zn 0.011 0.02% 1.013 2.58% Fe 0.004 0.01% 1.496 3.81% Ni 2.335 3.62% 1.980 5.04% Sb 0.362 0.56% 0.114 0.29% Bi 0.026 0.04% 0.000 0.00% As 0.036 0.06% 0.000 0.00%

Of the first high copper metal composition in the furnace, 30,524 kg were fed into the copper refining furnace as stream 30 for beginning a new step b) (100) of a next cycle. A further 33,976 kg were removed from the process as stream 22, for further processing.

Step m) (900): After removal of the (30,524 kg+33,976 kg=) 64,500 kg of the first high copper metal phase (22+30) from the furnace, the furnace content was passed onto another TBRC for further treatment as part of step m) (900). The mixture of the 39,276 kg of third solder refining slag 23 and the 6 tons of metal having the composition of the first high copper metal composition was partially reduced as part of step m) (900). Scrap iron was introduced as reducing agent. Further added to step m) were an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity, and a minor amount (37 kg) of fresh feed 58. The compositions and amounts of the feeds forming the furnace charge for step m) (900) are given in Table XVII.

TABLE XVII Metal phase having Third Solder Fresh Feed remained with the Step m) Refining Slag-23 58 slag (23) (900) 39.276 0.037 6.000 0 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 3.182 8.10% 0.001 2.38% 5.532 92.20% Sn 7.317 18.63% 0.001 3.31% 0.103 1.71% Pb 8.515 21.68% 0.004 10.88% 0.104 1.74% Zn 1.013 2.58% 0.002 5.94% 0.001 0.02% Fe 1.496 3.81% 0.010 27.53% 0.000 0.01% Ni 1.980 5.04% 0.000 0.22% 0.217 3.62% Sb 0.114 0.29% 0.000 0.00% 0.034 0.56% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.002 0.04% As 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.003 0.06%

The reduction step m) (900) was stopped when the concentrations of copper and nickel in the slag phase had sufficiently been reduced. At that point, the furnace was bottom-tapped to remove an amount of 11,229 kg of second dilute copper metal composition 11 for further treatment in step c) (400) of a next process cycle. A fourth solder refining slag 24 together with about 1,400 kg of metal having the composition of the second dilute copper metal phase 11 was passed onto another TBRC for being subjected to step n) (1000). The compositions and total amounts of the second dilute copper metal phase or composition 11 and of the fourth solder refining slag 24 are shown in Table XVIII, whereby the 1,400 kg of metal phase which is remaining with the slag phase is included in the total amount reported for the second dilute copper metal phase 11.

TABLE XVIII Second dilute Cu Fourth Solder metal phase - 11 Refining Slag - 24 Step m) (900) 12.629 41.342 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 6.960 61.98% 1.389 3.36% Sn 2.095 18.66% 5.069 12.26% Pb 0.775 6.90% 7.743 18.73% Zn 0.006 0.05% 1.009 2.44% Fe 0.020 0.18% 9.037 21.86% Ni 1.291 11.50% 0.752 1.82% Sb 0.073 0.65% 0.066 0.16% Bi 0.002 0.02% 0.000 0.00% As 0.003 0.03% 0.000 0.00%

The second dilute Cu metal phase 11 from step m) contained about 0.11% wt of silver (Ag) and 0.01% wt of sulphur.

Step n) (1000): After the 11,229 kg of second dilute copper metal phase 11 was tapped from the furnace, the remaining furnace content was transferred to another TBRC for performing step n) (1000). 11,789 kg of second lead and tin containing fresh feed 25 was added as part of step n) (1000) and the furnace content was further reduced. The reduction was done by adding 9,692 kg of scrap iron as reducing agent, along with an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. The compositions and amounts of the different furnace feeds for step n) (1000) are shown in Table XIX.

TABLE XIX Fourth Solder Fresh Feed Second dilute Cu Step n) Refining Slag-24 25 metal phase-11 (1000) 41.342 11.789 1.400 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 1.389 3.36% 0.728 6.18% 0.868 61.98% Sn 5.069 12.26% 1.864 15.81% 0.261 18.66% Pb 7.743 18.73% 8.790 74.56% 0.097 6.90% Zn 1.009 2.44% 0.019 0.16% 0.001 0.05% Fe 9.037 21.86% 0.070 0.59% 0.003 0.18% Ni 0.752 1.82% 0.003 0.02% 0.161 11.50% Sb 0.066 0.16% 0.074 0.63% 0.009 0.65% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.037 0.32% 0.000 0.02% As 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.03%

The partial reduction step was stopped when the concentration of tin in the slag phase had attained about target level. At that point the furnace was again bottom-tapped to remove the second crude solder metal composition 26 from the furnace, leaving only the fifth solder refining slag 27 in the furnace. The second crude solder metal composition 26 was further processed into lead and tin prime products. The fifth solder refining slag 27 was passed onto another TBRC for performing step o) (1100). The compositions and amounts of the second crude solder metal 26 and of the fifth solder refining slag 27 are set forth in Table XX.

TABLE XX Second Crude Fifth Solder Solder 26 Refining Slag 27 Step n) (1000) 23.080 41.956 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 2.934 10.57% 0.054 0.13% Sn 6.245 22.49% 0.975 2.32% Pb 16.080 57.90% 0.550 1.31% Zn 0.000 0.00% 1.032 2.46% Fe 1.363 4.91% 17.373 41.41% Ni 0.895 3.22% 0.021 0.05% Sb 0.149 0.54% 0.000 0.00% Bi 0.038 0.14% 0.000 0.00% As 0.000 0.00% 0.000 0.00%

Step o) (1100): A further reduction step was performed on the fifth solder refining slag 27 by adding to it 922 kg of scrap iron as reducing agent along with 23,735 kg of copper containing fresh feed 55 and an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of safety, phase separation and/or slag fluidity. The second copper containing fresh feed 55 consisted primarily of extra black copper from the upstream smelter. The compositions and amounts of the feeds to step o) (1100) are given in Table XXI.

TABLE XXI Fifth Solder Cu-containing Refining Slag 27 Fresh Feed 55 Step o) (1100) 41.956 23.735 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 0.054 0.13% 15.456 67.27% Sn 0.975 2.32% 0.997 4.34% Pb 0.550 1.31% 2.022 8.80% Zn 1.032 2.46% 1.097 4.77% Fe 17.373 41.41% 1.603 6.98% Ni 0.021 0.05% 0.391 1.70% Sb 0.000 0.00% 0.040 0.17% Bi 0.000 0.00% 0.005 0.02% As 0.000 0.00% 0.011 0.05%

The reduction was continued until an acceptable spent slag quality was obtained. When this target was reached, a third lead-tin based metal phase 29 and a third spent slag 28 had been produced, the compositions and amounts of which are given in Table XXII. The third spent slag 28 was poured off and was removed from the process. The third lead-tin based metal composition 29 was transferred to the TBRC which was intended for performing step p) (1200).

TABLE XXII Third Pb—Sn based metal phase - 29 Third spent slag 28 Step o) (1100) 22.300 45.542 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 15.446 69.56% 0.155 0.34% Sn 1.923 8.66% 0.069 0.15% Pb 2.417 10.88% 0.205 0.45% Zn 0.347 1.56% 1.812 3.98% Fe 1.598 7.20% 18.522 40.67% Ni 0.406 1.83% 0.015 0.03% Sb 0.041 0.18% 0.000 0.00% Bi 0.005 0.02% 0.000 0.00% As 0.011 0.05% 0.000 0.00%

Step p) (1200): To the third lead-tin based metal composition 29 were added 5,204 kg of fresh feed 51 along with an amount of sand flux sufficient to obtain the desired effects of phase separation and/or slag fluidity. Subsequently, by partial oxidation, most of the iron and zinc were oxidized from the metal phase into the slag phase. The compositions and amounts of the products from this oxidation step p) (1200) are shown in Table XXIII.

TABLE XXIII Third Pb—Sn based metal phase - 29 Fresh Feed 51 Step p) (1200) 22.300 5.204 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 15.446 69.56% 1.402 32.04% Sn 1.923 8.66% 0.368 8.42% Pb 2.417 10.88% 0.386 8.83% Zn 0.347 1.56% 0.156 3.56% Fe 1.598 7.20% 0.989 22.61% Ni 0.406 1.83% 0.158 3.61% Sb 0.041 0.18% 0.023 0.54% Bi 0.005 0.02% 0.000 0.01% As 0.011 0.05% 0.000 0.00%

When the oxidation of iron and zinc had sufficiently been progressed, a fourth lead-tin based metal composition 21 and a sixth solder refining slag 14 had been produced, the compositions and amounts of which are given in Table XXIV. The sixth solder refining slag 14 was poured off and was added at least partially as stream 14 to the first liquid bath (450) and/or at least partially as stream 53 to the step e) (600) of the next process cycle. The fourth lead-tin based metal composition 21 was transferred to another TBRC to become part of the second liquid bath 550 and for performing the step l) (800) as part of the next process cycle.

TABLE XXIV Fourth Pb—Sn based Sixth Solder metal phase - 21 Refining Slag 14 Step p) (1200) 20.665 9.124 Mt/chge Mton % wt Mton % wt Cu 16.483 79.76% 0.281 3.08% Sn 1.882 9.11% 0.411 4.51% Pb 1.643 7.95% 1.158 12.69% Zn 0.019 0.09% 0.483 5.30% Fe 0.012 0.06% 2.573 28.21% Ni 0.533 2.58% 0.030 0.33% Sb 0.063 0.31% 0.001 0.01% Bi 0.006 0.03% 0.000 0.00% As 0.011 0.05% 0.000 0.00%

The process steps 100-1200 involving molten metal and/or slag phases are all operated at a temperature in the range of 1100 to 1250° C. Depending on the purpose of the step, its operating temperature may preferably be close to the upper or to the lower end of this temperature range.

The applicants have found that the embodiment of the process as described in this Example may be performed in a limited number of TBRC's. The applicants have been able to perform this process in as few as 8 furnaces, several of them preferably being of the TBRC type. The applicants prefer to perform this process in as few as 6 furnaces, more preferably in only 5 furnaces, even more preferably in only 4 furnaces, yet more preferably in only 3 furnaces.

Having now fully described this invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention can be performed within a wide range of parameters within what is claimed, without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims. 

1. A molten dilute copper metal composition comprising, on a weight basis and relative to its total dry weight: at least 57% wt and at most 85% wt of copper, at least 3.0% wt of nickel, at most 0.8% wt of iron at least 7% wt and at most 25% wt of tin, and at least 3% wt and at most 15% wt of lead. 2-10. (canceled)
 11. A process for the manufacturing of a first dilute copper metal composition according to any claim 1, the process comprising the following steps: a) providing a black copper composition comprising at least 50% wt of copper and at least 1.0% wt of tin, together with at least 1.0% wt of lead; b) partially oxidizing the black copper composition, thereby forming a first enriched copper metal phase and a first copper refining slag, followed by separating the first copper refining slag from the first enriched copper metal phase; h) partially oxidizing the first enriched copper metal phase, thereby forming a second enriched copper metal phase and a second copper refining slag, followed by separating the second copper refining slag from the second enriched copper metal phase, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the total amount of the tin and lead that is processed through process steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first copper refining slag and the second copper refining slag together; j) partially oxidizing the second enriched copper metal phase, thereby forming a third enriched copper metal phase and a third copper refining slag, followed by separating the third copper refining slag from the third enriched copper metal phase; i) adding at least a part of at least one of the second copper refining slag and the third copper refining slag to a metal composition that contains copper together with at least one solder metal selected from tin and lead, thereby forming a first liquid bath; and d) partially oxidizing the first liquid bath, thereby forming the first dilute copper metal composition according to claim 1 and a first solder refining slag, followed by separating the first solder refining slag from the first dilute copper metal composition.
 12. The process according to claim 11 further comprising the step of c) partially reducing the first copper refining slag thereby forming a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag, followed by separating the first spent slag from the first lead-tin based metal composition, and adding the first lead-tin based metal composition to the first liquid bath as the metal composition of step i) that contains copper together with at least one solder metal selected from tin and lead. 13-16. (canceled)
 17. The process according to claim 11, further comprising the following step: e) partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a first crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the first crude solder metal composition.
 18. The process according to claim 17, further comprising the following step: partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag, followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition. 19-26. (canceled)
 27. The process according to claim 11, further comprising the following steps: k) at least one of adding at least a part of the third copper refining slag to the first dilute copper metal composition obtained from step d), thereby forming a second liquid bath, and/or adding at least a part of the third copper refining slag to step l); and l) partially oxidizing the second liquid bath, thereby forming a first high-copper metal composition and a third solder refining slag, followed by separating the third solder refining slag from the first high-copper metal composition.
 28. The process according to claim 27, further comprising the following step: m) partially reducing the third solder refining slag, thereby forming a second dilute copper metal composition and a fourth solder refining slag, followed by separating the fourth solder refining slag from the second dilute copper metal composition, wherein the second dilute copper metal composition comprises on a weight basis and relative to its total dry weight: at least 57% wt and at most 85% wt of copper, at least 3.0% wt of nickel; at most 0.8% wt of iron; at least 7% wt and at most 25% wt of tin; and at least 3% wt and at most 15% wt of lead.
 29. The process according to claim 28, further comprising the following step: n) partially reducing the fourth solder refining slag, thereby forming a second crude solder metal composition and a fifth solder refining slag, followed by separating the second crude solder metal composition from the fifth solder refining slag.
 30. The process according to claim 29, further comprising the following step: o) partially reducing the fifth solder refining slag, thereby forming a third lead-tin based metal composition and a third spent slag, followed by separating the third spent slag from the third lead-tin based metal composition. 31-44. (canceled)
 45. The process according to claim 11 in which a black copper or black copper composition is added to at least one of steps b), f) and o), wherein the black copper is produced by a smelter step.
 46. The process according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the first crude solder metal composition and the second crude solder metal composition is pre-refined using silicon metal to produce a pre-refined solder metal composition.
 47. The process according to claim 11 further comprising the step of cooling at least one of the first crude solder metal composition, the second crude solder metal composition and the pre-refined solder metal composition down to a temperature of at most 825° C. to produce a bath containing a first supernatant dross which by gravity becomes floating upon a first liquid molten tuned solder phase.
 48. The process according to claim 11 further comprising the step of adding at least one of an alkali metal, an earth alkali metal, and chemical compounds comprising at least one of an alkali metal and an earth alkali metal, to at least one of the first crude solder metal composition, the second crude solder metal composition, the pre-refined solder metal composition and the first liquid molten tuned solder phase to form a bath containing a second supernatant dross which by gravity comes floating on top of a second liquid molten tuned solder phase.
 49. The process according to claim 48, further comprising the step of removing the second supernatant dross from the second liquid molten tuned solder phase, thereby forming a second tuned solder.
 50. The process according to claim 47 further comprising the step of removing the first supernatant dross from the first liquid molten tuned solder phase, thereby forming a first tuned solder.
 51. The process according to claim 49, further comprising the step of distilling at least one of the first tuned solder and the second tuned solder, wherein lead (Pb) is removed from the solder by evaporation and a distillation overhead product and a distillation bottom product are obtained. 52-53. (canceled) 